The City of Largo’s St Pete Pride 2024 parade entry. (Watermark Out News file photo)
LARGO, Fla. | Mayor Woody Brown, the City Commission and local residents are standing by the Largo Public Library after state Rep. Berny Jacques targeted its LGBTQ+-inclusive content.
Jacques, a Republican representing Florida House District 59 who the mayor has previously endorsed, sent a letter to officials March 22 calling the facility’s LGBTQ+ materials “indoctrination.” He advised they are “actively promoting radical gender and sexual ideology to children.”
The representative further noted he will “not support any state funding for the Largo Public Library” and that “my support of any future state appropriations to the City of Largo will be conditioned on the complete removal of sexual identity materials, displays, and programming from the library’s children section.”
Watermark Out News has reviewed the LGBTQ+ content, which include pamphlets for young adult fiction and a Progress Pride flag. Brown told Axios that the latter was displayed by local teens, not staff, and noted it is located in the library’s Teen Room.
The mayor formally responded to Jacques March 27, a letter the representative subsequently shared March 28 via social media. He criticized Brown’s response as a “COMPLETE DENIAL OF WRONGDOING.”
“The City of Largo takes seriously its responsibility to provide a library that serves as a trusted resource for all residents,” Brown’s letter reads. “I have personally reviewed this matter with City administration and library staff to ensure that our policies and practices align with our mission of serving the community in a responsible and age-appropriate manner.”
He advises that the materials Jacques referenced were located in the teen room, “where parents retain full discretion over their children’s access.” He also noted that officials “respect the vital role of parents in guiding their children’s experiences and remain committed to supporting parental involvement while upholding our responsibility to ensure our public institutions serve all members of the community.”
Brown ensured the efficacy of the selection policy used by the library as well. The mayor noted he has “requested that our staff work alongside our Library Advocacy Board to evaluate our existing practices and report back with any proposed changes to the library’s policies and procedures.”
In response — in addition to indicating “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” — the representative requested public records relating to the library’s “‘comprehensive materials selection policy’” and documentation going back two years that mentions his own name, “sexual ideology,” “rainbow club,” “LGBT materials,” any variation of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and more.
Read both letters and view the content Jacques objects to below:
PFLAG Safety Harbor was among local LGBTQ+ advocates who celebrated “the remarkable efforts of Mayor Woody Brown and the Largo City Commission,” which includes the body’s LGBTQ+ trailblazer Commissioner Michael Smith.
“Their unwavering dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the library demonstrates a true commitment to serving ALL members of our community,” the group shared. “Let’s rally together to ensure that Largo Library continues to thrive as a place where everyone feels welcome and valued!”
The organization was among those to voice their support at the Largo City Commission Meeting April 1.
“All parents should have the right to introduce their children to the real world, not just a filtered version dictated by politicians’ personal values of politicians’ use of children as pawns for their campaigns,” PFLAG Safety Harbor President Wendy Vernon shared.
“Parents should have the right to resources that allow their children to engage with different cultures, histories and perspectives so they grow into passionate and informed individuals who can think critically,” she continued. “… Parental rights applies to all parents, not just those whose views align with political agendas.”
Speakers also included a 14-year-old resident who noted “when I heard people wanted to change [the library] and take away what made it so special, it made me really upset.” They thanked the mayor “for standing up to Representative Jacques because I think the library is perfect just the way it is,” prompting applause. View the full meeting here.
For more information about the Largo City Commission and library, visit Largo.com and LargoPublicLibrary.com. Learn more about PFLAG Safety Harbor at PFLAGSafetyHarbor.org.
