Our Center is asking Washoe County to reconsider the cancellation of future drag queen story hours at local libraries after Washoe County manager Eric Brown wrote to library staff that “risks posed to county employees have reached an unacceptable level” at such events.
The Washoe County Library System will no longer be holding the colorful story times which have become a target of some angry locals who would disrupt the events with shouting, displaying signs such as “Stop Sexualizing Our Children” and other intimidation tactics.
In an email sent out on Tuesday, Manager Brown indicated that “on July 11th the Workplace Violence Committee (WVC) unanimously voted to recommend that Washoe County libraries cease hosting Pride events due to employee safety concerns. Although there has been work by library staff and volunteers to make changes to the event plans over the past few years, including increasing the presence of security officers and de-escalation training for library employees, despite these efforts, the WVC believes the risk to County employees has become too great. Library Director Scott has been advised of this recommendation and is expected to take the matter up with his Board of Trustees at the next Washoe County Library Board meeting.”
Our Center was organizing the events at different local libraries, with the next one planned for Sept. 8th at South Valleys already off the official calendar.
A June 15th edition at North Valleys allegedly included a librarian being injured by a protester trying to force himself inside the library where only adults accompanied by attendant kids were allowed. Some protesters started going inside with kids, and then held up signs to disrupt the story time itself.
The library system says it will continue working with Our Center and other LGBTQ+ groups despite this setback.