The Fresno County Supervisors voted 3-2 that public libraries cannot recognize Pride month and cannot participate in the Fresno Rainbow Pride Festival.
Supervisor Garry Bredefeld led the motion to refuse libraries’ participation, arguing that the move is indoctrination. “The library now, rather than serve all members of the community in an unbiased fashion, has chosen to become advocates and promote a political agenda that many don’t support,” Bredefeld stated, as per ABC 30.
Supervisors Luis Chavez and Brian Pacheco opposed Bredefeld’s motion. Chavez said, “We’re not just promoting one single group. We’re promoting Christian literature and a number of other subjects, and I think that’s how it should be because the library should belong to everybody.”
Ahead of the vote, Bredefeld wrote in a Facebook statement obtained by Fox 26 News that his office discovered that the library has been handing out bookmarks “recommending books with LGBTQ, sexual and transgender content.” He added that the effort was funded by taxpayer dollars. “This is why I will fight against what the library is doing and return our libraries to an environment that is safe for children, is free of any political ideology, and promotes literacy programs in a transparent and healthy manner.”
Diane Pearce, Clovis mayor pro tem, wrote in response to Bredefel’s statement, “Thank you for keeping a spotlight on this problem. I have been fighting this issue for years here in Clovis and will be with you every step of the way to ensure children are protected and parents are truly informed about the appalling indoctrination happening in our County libraries.”
