2 librarians were fired after the board mistook an autism symbol for a Pride display. They’re suing.
2 librarians were fired after the board mistook an autism symbol for a Pride display. They’re suing.
“I do not want any kind of rainbow display especially in this month. We have a conservative town and as a library do not need to make political statements (see Target and Budlight as negative examples). I certainly do not want the library to promote LGBTQ agendas.”
Ah, and removing them is not a political statement?
Remember, it’s only “political” when it’s something they don’t like.
Wrong reply....
Well yeah, there are only two sexualities: straight and political ^/s
And there's only two genders. Male and political. Two races. White and political.
To the quoted hate-filled fuck: Existing without being persecuted isn't a goddamn agenda you piece of shit. The only agenda I see here is your fascist one. Try keeping your shit to yourself and learn to let people be instead of trying to stamp them out, ignorant fuckstick.
Tell them it's to celebrate the receding flood waters and God's promise to never do it again.
That should shut them up.
No, then they’ll just blame it on
[takes deep breath]
“THE JOOOOOOOOOOOZ!!!!1!1!!”
I'm sure they would also happily attempt elimination of neurodivergent people.
Well that's the next step.
Indeed. No question about that at all.
Until they realize how neuro divergent they all are, they just hide it all in cult nonsense.
I don't understand how having a rainbow nearby isn't protected by 1st amendment rights.
Probably because that's not how the first amendment works.
IANAL but, if it’s a publicly owned and operated library, and someone acting on behalf of the government fired these people for some sort of protected speech (which isn’t always just talking/writing) then I’m pretty sure that’s a 1a violation.
Though I could use some clarity on any distinction between a persons own speech, and speech that could be seen as that of the library.
Strange how certain types incorrectly construe constitutional right violations with businesses but completely overlook state enforcement as literal infringement by government. Big gubmint isn't just federal.
Would you like to explain it?
I am old enough to remember the rainbow colors being a secret way for the community to find each other. We'd put a small rainbow on our cars, or other places and people of our community knew what that meant.
Now that we are more out of the closet, hateful bigots know what the rainbow flag means too. This is an expected downside to our communities progress. But we will never go back in the closet.
I'm a straight biological male and love rainbows. Colours are pretty! Not sure why anyone would get upset about rainbows. You know, the NATURALLY occurring thing?
You know they get upset at all kinds of Science shit that’s for liberals and nerds. Rainbows are no different.
Another cis straight male here btw. Rainbows are awesome in more ways than one. And how could you be a sensible person and not be an ally to those who would prefer not to be oppressed for stupid reasons?
Not the only reason by any stretch, but Christians love to claim that no one else can use rainbows because of that myth where their god used one to apologize for one of his many mass genocides.
I want a way to signal to people, sorry I'm freaking weird and apologies in advance for my awkwardness.
I've always loved the infinity symbol, got it engraved on a ring for my partner over a decade ago.
I also love badges.
Considering finding an enamel rainbow infinity badge online - and if someone mistakes me as queer, I don't mind, I'm an ally and a bit bi anyway.
Bigots get way too hung up on symbols.
I like to think of symbols as positive things - either covert ways to communicate with like minded people in an unfortunately negative environment, or ways to show pride in something if the symbol is widely recognised.
When that pride is something includes infringement on the rights of others, then we have a problem.
Otherwise, yay, go wild.
Yes, officer, I've had a few drinks - why do you ask?
I think a lot of the bigots out there with a religious background have been conditioned to put a LOT into simple symbols.
Different challenges these days for sure. As glad as I am in a place when I do not have to resort to spy codes just to feel like myself I still find the modern ones to be kind of great. Like every stripe of the LGBTQIA has their own hidden messages. Like if I saw a Blahaj Ikea shark wearing a bandana around it's "waist" chomping on a piece of garlic bread surrounded by toadstools I would be like... Well that's basically a pride flag.
Imagine being so afraid of The Big Gay that you fire two people for being part of another community that uses boldly colored stripes in their logo, a community that literally has a documented statistical preference for bold primary colors and patterns. Imagine your hate being so enormous that it can't hit just one group of vulnerable minority children.
EDIT: Imagine posting before your caffeine kicks in and having to fix three different typos.
It's not hate. It's fear. Fear of the confusing thoughts in their heads.
EDIT: Imagine posting before your caffeine kicks in and having to fix three different typos.
I don't have to imagine anything at all to know what this is. Imagine having this experience most days!
Most days I don't do anything before my caffeine and meds kick in x_x
When you accidentally discriminate against the “wrong” minority
No, no, they disciminate against them as well. 2 birds, 1 stone.
They're suing.
I hope they win. If the basis for their firing was the presumption that they were gay (hint: being gay is a protected class, you can't fire someone for being gay), this would be an open-and-shut case of employment discrimination.
But if it's all a big dumb misunderstanding and they're not gay (and not part of that particular protected class) but they're still fired over it, let me remind you that being autistic is a never-ending ordeal of being misunderstood, often mixed with a sense of justice that could be characterized as white-hot.
...or at least, my sense of justice about this might be in the range of over-wrought, or just blazing.
Shit, is firing someone because they're autistic not also an open-an-shut case of employment discrimination?
If not, I think we need some reform.
Being autistic is a protected class
They just don't hire you for not being charismatic or some other stupid reason.
They could argue it was over the displaying of "political" symbology, and not for the perceived sexuality of the employees.
They could argue it was over the displaying of “political” symbology, and not for the perceived sexuality of the employees.
They could, but the article quotes text messages from the lawsuit that very strongly indicate it was explicitly about perceived 'gay pride' being the kind of "political" they don't want:
On June 22, Splitter, a temporary summer library employee, complained about the display to Lancaster, saying she found the “gay Pride” symbol offensive and going into “an anti-LGBT diatribe” even though Lancaster explained that the infinity symbol represented neurodiversity and autism.
Splitter then complained about the display to Michelle Miller, vice chair of the library board. Miller reportedly told Lancaster that she could get her fellow board members to have Lancaster take down the display.
“I am totally fine with diversity of skin color display, just not represented with rainbow colors,” Miller texted Wheeler, the director, according to the lawsuit. “I do not want any kind of rainbow display especially in this month. We have a conservative town and as a library do not need to make political statements (see Target and Budlight as negative examples). I certainly do not want the library to promote LGBTQ agendas.”
From context, not only did the plaintiffs explain that the rainbow-infinity is an autism symbol, they also went so far as to take down the display to seek guidance on how to change it- and even after those accommodations they were fired. But at least they put their intent to discriminate in text messages that would be discoverable at trial
These fucking morons don't even know what they're banning... Really teaching everyone how important education really is, and why they don't want people educated.
It's so weird to be outraged about this stuff enough to fire 2 of your neighbors in a small town.
It is deeply weird. These people's brains have been beaten into a froth of hate.
I really like the way you put that. I'm stealing it.
They did WHAT in a small town!?
"I can breathe in a small town"
/s
LGBTQ people existing is not political, it is a fact. And I am sure even in that conservative town there are LGBTQ people who would want to read books about them or books to help them. Yea, helping other LGBTQ people is the gay agenda.
Agenda of tolerance. "Oh nOoOoOoo sOo sCaRY!!!1!"
LGBTQ people existing is not political Minorities existing is not political Climate change existing is not political Evolution existing is not political
…unless your opinions are so awful that you have to deny reality in order to make them an easier sell to your followers.
On June 22, Splitter, a temporary summer library employee, complained about the display to Lancaster, saying she found the “gay Pride” symbol offensive and going into “an anti-LGBT diatribe” even though Lancaster explained that the infinity symbol represented neurodiversity and autism.
I have to wonder if this person saw the rainbow and applied for a temp position just to complain.
Where are all the people who say "if you don't like it just get another job" when this happens. Especially if you're a temp and you could literally walk across the street and get another job.
So much for not wanting to have negative press, now some random guy in Ohio even hates the place
Even if the symbol was a Pride display, they should be suing.
So this is the Sterling Free Public Library that did this? The library at this website here?
https://sterling.scklslibrary.info/
I wonder what would happen if these ignorant bigots faced a proverbial shit storm of backlash from across the country every time they tried to pull hateful shit like this?
They’d close the library as a fuck you.
"Look at all this hate mail the library is receiving! Proof that no one likes books."
Your ignorance is gonna get you, yeah yeah, your ignorance is gonna get you....
Ugh I live close to this town. It's only like a four hour drive.
Let's get a USA chant going
U-S-Gay, U-S-Gay!
The Board be like :
art source : https://www.artstation.com/artwork/BXY32D
Damn, I don’t know whether I should be outraged at trying to censor a library or at succeeding based on making a mistake. How is censoring a library even a thing?
(Yes, I live in an area that respects knowledge , freedom and individual rights, why do you ask?)
MAYBE, just don't do activism in your place of work. for anything. especially if it's a publically funded thing.
I didn't realize existing was activism. But with that mindset we should remove all religious books for sure, stop pushing that Christian agenda. Especially if it's a publicly funded thing.
It really speaks to the state of your mind if you think not hating someone is activism, be it because of their sexuality or neurodivergence.
it really speaks to your ignorance if you think that's what I meant. Putting up ANY kind of signage like that regardless if it was for the alphabet crowd or nd crowds, in a library that's funded by the public, is in poor taste. Pretty sure they aren't going to allow them to put up a straight pride sign, or a "im neuro-normal" sign right? And they have to be dense to put up rainbows in JUNE and not have people assume it's a gay thing. use the grey matter between your ears, huh?
I fail to see anywhere in the article where they talk about the flag being related to activism. What exactly were they trying to accomplish with the flag? Where did you see the proof of that in the article?
The display included a book with this symbol and "the books Emma & Mommy Talk to God, The Color Purple, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Separate is Never Equal, Wonder, and To Kill a Mockingbird". Is the rest of it also activism? Or just the flag because they mistook it for being about gay people? Why were the rest of the books ok? Or are they not in your eyes?
Stop being a bigot and people won't need to defend their existence. You don't yell at the bullied kid for hitting his bully. The bully wouldn't have gotten hit if he wasn't a bully.
"I do not want any kind of rainbow display especially in this month." Imagine hating the idea of diversity so much that any kind of rainbow offends you. These people won't stop until the entire world is gray.
Man, these people are gonna be unhinged once they find out a rainbow is our visible light spectrum and that we technically see it everywhere. The kicker is that "God" put it there.
Oh boy are they unhinged.
When your political project is 'make everyone as miserable as I am', whining about every goddamn thing is actually a kind of praxis.
You should see the comments on instagram reels whenever a teacher posts something and there's a rainbow in the background, like just a rainbow on the wall in a kindergarten class or something, so many people absolutely fucking lose their minds and spew the most vile shit at these teachers, it's bizarre.
Why are they able to so quickly swarm and find these posts?
They won't stop until all the LGBTQ people (and Jews, people of color, etc) are dead.
Why do I feel like such an event would just make population epigenetics LGBTQ even harder.
FTFY.