Bredefeld Keeps Fresno Library Out of Pride Parade

In a divided vote at a divided meeting, Fresno County supervisors voted 3-2 to keep library staff from having a booth at the Rainbow Pride Parade in June, despite the organization waiving all fees to participate.

The county will not, however, restrict displays of LGBT books during Pride Month at the Fresno County Public Library after county counsel issued a legal memo.

The decision comes after Board Chair Garry Bredefeld took to social media Friday to decry the request and a series of bookmarks distributed by the library to teenagers promoting books with LGBT themes.

Bredefeld Says Its ‘Indoctrination’

While Supervisor Luis Chavez said that the library distributes bookmarks with Christian material, Bredefeld described the amount of LGBT material pushed as “indoctrination.”

“The indoctrination of our young children, our innocent young children has to come to an end in the library system,” Bredefeld told GV Wire. “They don’t need to be at the Gay Pride Parade, there are a multitude of community events that they don’t attend, that they don’t ask to attend.”

Supervisors Bredefeld, Nathan Magsig, and Buddy Mendes voted to keep the library from participating in the Pride Parade. Supervisors Chavez and Brian Pacheco voted against the motion.

Tracie Cisneros, volunteer coordinator with Fresno Rainbow Pride said the library plays an “essential” role in helping individuals understand themselves.

“To make a show of excluding that community or putting an effort to exclude that community sends the other message in that ‘not only are you not welcome to utilize our resources, but we feel that you are and the thing you represent are an abomination to this county and therefore we won’t support it,'” Cisneros said.

What Library Participates in

Although participation in the Pride parade originally would have cost $125, organizers said at the meeting they would waive the fee.

Before Bredefeld’s tenure, participation at events such as the Rainbow Pride Parade would have only required department supervisor approval. Now, participating in events requires going before supervisors.

This year, Fresno County Department of Public Health’s participation will be limited to handing out health information rather than condoms as they have in previous years, Bredefeld said.

In a line of questions from Magsig, Fresno County Librarian Sally Gomez said the library responds to events to which it is invited.

“We don’t have enough staff or resources to do cold calls,” Gomez told supervisors.

Staff will go to the library to promote Zoo Boo, Trunk or Treat, Stone Soup, the Clovis Farmers Market, and others. It also participates in month-long events such as Autism Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, Parkinson’s Month, Arab American Heritage Month, and more.

Magsig pointed out that the library does not go to Big Hat Days, the Clovis Rodeo, or FresYes Fest.

Library’s Job to Be ‘A Little Bit Controversial’: Chavez

One mother who spoke at the meeting said it was uncomfortable for her to bring children to the library during Pride Month.

She said sex should not be discussed with children.

A supporter of LGBT material at the library said she doesn’t support guns but doesn’t question the inclusion of books about hunting or violence at the library.

Chavez said it’s the job of the library to be “a little bit controversial.” He also said that limiting what children have access to should fall on parents.

“As a parent, if you don’t want your child to read, don’t open the book,” Chavez said.

Chavez added that threats of violence have been sent to librarians.

Supervisors Have No Control Over Library Books: Sloan

State law forbids county supervisors from limiting books available at the library — that job falls on library staff. As a result, supervisors did not move forward with calls from Bredefeld to limit displays.

County Counsel Doug Sloan, however, said the supervisors can affect ancillary items such as a “mug with a picture on it.”

Bredefeld said he received an email from a concerned parent whose 13-year-old daughter received a bookmark at school suggesting books with LGBT themes.

He said of 23 bookmarks his staff found, more than half promoted books about LGBT issues.

“If that’s not indoctrination, I don’t know what is,” Bredefeld said.

Gomez said that her department is reviewing bookmarks but assured Bredefeld that the ways he objected were geared toward teenagers and were not being distributed to younger children.

She said she would review age-appropriate titles.

“We realize that’s not for everybody, but we also know we have a lot of students that might be interested,” Gomez said.

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