Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Do LGBT Kids Books Belong in Public Libraries? Clovis Councilwoman Stirs Strong Debate.
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 2 years ago on
July 7, 2023

Share

In the waning days of LGBT Pride Month, Clovis City Councilwoman Diane Pearce posted a message on Facebook that she called a “public service announcement.” It warned about LGBT books at the local library.

Thus began a debate in which the opponents refuse to give ground.

“Might want to wait until June is over to take your kids to the Clovis Public Library. FYI, the Clovis City Council has no direct control over this … these are Fresno County Libraries,” Pearce wrote on June 28.

She said the LGBT-themed books are not age appropriate for children. Pearce included photos of LGBT books on display at the library aimed at children. Several people responded negatively online to Pearce’s posts.

But the conservative Pearce is standing firm on her beliefs.

“Talking about sexual themes, gender identity, sexuality … adults can do what they want. Nobody’s talking about that. This has nothing to do with what adults do on their private time or in their bedrooms. But when we’re targeting children with that type of information, I think it’s only appropriate that parents have the opportunity to choose not to have their children exposed to that. And that’s what the issue was,” Pearce told GV Wire on Thursday.

Library policy is set at the county level, and the Clovis City Council does not have jurisdiction, Pearce acknowledges.

Clovis Mom Strikes Back at Pearce’s Post

“What (Pearce is) really doing by creating a dog whistle about LGBTQ content in our library is aligning herself with a very specific group of people who jeopardize the lives of our most vulnerable populations.”Tracy Bohren, mom and LGBT community member

Pearce says she is voicing the thoughts of her constituents. However, it’s clear that some Clovis residents don’t believe Pearce reflects their values.

Tracy Bohren, a Clovis mother of two and a member of the LGBT community, is among them. She disagreed with Pearce’s comments on Facebook, and explained why to GV Wire, saying that Pearce’s comments are dangerous.

LGBT books, Bohren said, are vital to a vulnerable population and the community’s understanding of that population.

“What (Pearce is) really doing by creating a dog whistle about LGBTQ content in our library is aligning herself with a very specific group of people who jeopardize the lives of our most vulnerable populations,” Bohren said.

She supports the library’s display of LGBT books.

LGBTQ materials that are made for children are specifically designed to be relatable to children, and they share information that helps children understand the diverse population of our planet so that they don’t grow up to dislike a segment of our population so much that they make social media posts about it,” Bohren said.

Pearce countered that her stance is about protecting children.

“It’s simply about taking kids and making sure that they can maintain the innocence of childhood,” Pearce said.

Bohren plans to speak at Monday’s Clovis City Council meeting “to voice my concerns about a councilperson not representing the entirety of the population.”

How the Fresno County Public Library Selects Books

In an email statement to GV Wire after the publication of this story, county spokesman Joshua Dean said that the library has a collection development team that selects the books available for checkout at the system’s 34 branches.

“Our book selectors are professional librarians with master’s degrees in Library and Information Science,” Dean said. “They consider circulation data and local interest. Additionally, we regularly receive suggestions for purchase from the public that we may also add to the collection. Suggestions can be made at https://www.fresnolibrary.org/ask/suggest_faq.html.

“Most of the library’s collection is currently purchased through Baker & Taylor, the leading supplier of library content, software, and services to public libraries in the U.S. A majority of the titles are purchased through curated lists provided by Baker & Taylor.”

Dean added that items that aren’t checked out much by the public are removed to make way for potentially more popular selections.

Who Decides Themes for Library Displays?

Dean said that each branch librarian decides on the displays he or she feels will resonate with the community. He noted that most of the displays highlight national and state holidays. But the displays also bring attention to awareness months such as Pride Month, which was in June, Native American Heritage Month, and Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Said Fresno County Administrative Officer Paul Officer:  “Public questions and concerns about any county service are welcomed and provide an opportunity to review policies and procedures to ensure that we are serving the public to the best of our ability and representing our community.”

Pearce Stops Short of Calling for Book Ban

The special Pride book display has been removed since the calendar flipped to July. The books, though, remain on library shelves in the children’s section.

Pearce said social study books dealing with LGBT themes, or biographies on historical LGBT figures are OK.

However, books such as “Who Are You? The Kids Guide to Gender Identity,” are not age-appropriate, she said.

But Pearce stopped short of calling for an outright book ban.

“I’m not going to make any specific call beyond that (it is not age appropriate). I’m happy to be part of the conversation. And if there is something that I can participate in and bring my community, my constituents’ voice to that, I’m happy to do that,” Pearce said. “There’s no such thing as age-appropriate transgender ideology when it comes to our kids.”

What About the Bible?

Responding to the argument that LGBT material is not appropriate for children, Bohren responded:

“Should we also remove the Bible from the library? Because that is also the parent’s job to teach their child about their religion and their beliefs. Should that book also be removed? Because what’s happening when you start talking like that is reminiscent of Nazi Germany, where the government controlled what was in the public libraries and there was not free access to information.”

Pearce said the Bibles should remain in libraries.

“When you read about violence (in the Bible), when you read about sexual impropriety, it’s not celebrated. It is pointed out as a sin and a problem. And there are serious consequences for people,” Pearce said.

Interestingly, a Utah school district this year banned the Bible in elementary and middle schools. The ban came after a parent frustrated by efforts to ban materials from schools argued that some Bible verses were too vulgar or violent for younger children.

However, the 72,000-student Davis School District north of Salt Lake City returned the Bible to its library bookshelves after a flood of protests from families, Associated Press reported.

The Bible will return to the shelves in a northern Utah school district that provoked an outcry after it banned them from middle and elementary schools. The Davis School District said in a statement on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, that its board had determined the sacred text was age-appropriate for all school libraries. (Steve Griffin/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, File)

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Arrested in Fatal DUI Crash on Trimmer Springs Road

DON'T MISS

Israeli Military Kills 41 People in Gaza, Medics Say

DON'T MISS

Manhunt for Gunman Who Shot Two Minnesota Lawmakers Enters Second Day

DON'T MISS

Israel and Iran Bombard Each Other, Trump Says He Can ‘Easily’ End Conflict

DON'T MISS

Trump Vetoed an Israeli Plan to Kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, US Officials Say

DON'T MISS

Newsom Wanted To Fast-Track the Delta Tunnel Project. The Legislature Slowed the Flow

DON'T MISS

Five Weeknight Dishes: Seven Ingredients or Fewer, Because Summer

DON'T MISS

Big Fresno Fair Unveils Second Wave of 2025 Concert Acts

DON'T MISS

Israel Says Attacks on Iran Are Nothing Compared With What Is Coming

DON'T MISS

Military Parade Barrels Through Nation’s Capital With Tanks, Troops and 21-Gun Salute

UP NEXT

Big Fresno Fair Unveils Second Wave of 2025 Concert Acts

UP NEXT

Military Parade Barrels Through Nation’s Capital With Tanks, Troops and 21-Gun Salute

UP NEXT

Authorities Still Searching for Suspect in Shooting of 2 Minnesota State Lawmakers

UP NEXT

‘We Will Kill You Dead’: Florida Sheriff’s Stark Warning to Demonstrators

UP NEXT

Trump Curbs Immigration Enforcement at Farms, Meatpacking Plants, Hotels and Restaurants

UP NEXT

Fresno Protesters Rally Against Trump Administration on ‘No Kings Day’

UP NEXT

Protests, Parades and Pride: One Week in June 2025 Is Drawing Stark American Fault Lines

UP NEXT

Former State House Speaker, Husband Killed in Politically Targeted Shooting

UP NEXT

Does Merced County Need an Independent Commission to Draw Board of Supervisors Districts?

UP NEXT

Fresno Arts Council Debuts Gallery on Fulton for July ArtHop

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Israel and Iran Bombard Each Other, Trump Says He Can ‘Easily’ End Conflict

20 hours ago

Trump Vetoed an Israeli Plan to Kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, US Officials Say

20 hours ago

Newsom Wanted To Fast-Track the Delta Tunnel Project. The Legislature Slowed the Flow

22 hours ago

Five Weeknight Dishes: Seven Ingredients or Fewer, Because Summer

23 hours ago

Big Fresno Fair Unveils Second Wave of 2025 Concert Acts

1 day ago

Israel Says Attacks on Iran Are Nothing Compared With What Is Coming

2 days ago

Military Parade Barrels Through Nation’s Capital With Tanks, Troops and 21-Gun Salute

2 days ago

Authorities Still Searching for Suspect in Shooting of 2 Minnesota State Lawmakers

2 days ago

Caitlin Clark Returns and Leads Fever to Upset Win Over Unbeaten Liberty

2 days ago

Iran Fires Another Round of Missiles at Israel, and Explosions Are Heard in Tehran

2 days ago

Fresno Man Arrested in Fatal DUI Crash on Trimmer Springs Road

A man is dead and three others are injured following a rollover crash Saturday evening on Trimmer Springs Road that investigators say was ca...

18 hours ago

18 hours ago

Fresno Man Arrested in Fatal DUI Crash on Trimmer Springs Road

Mourners pray during the funeral of a Palestinian killed in what the Gaza health ministry says was Israeli fire near a distribution center in Rafah, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 15, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
18 hours ago

Israeli Military Kills 41 People in Gaza, Medics Say

Bullet holes mark the front door of Minnesota state Senator John Hoffman, who was shot alongside his wife, Yvette, in what is believed to be an attack by 57-year-old suspect Vance Luther Boelter, who is also the lead suspect in the shooting deaths of senior Democratic state assemblywoman Melissa Hortman and her husband, Marc, in Champlin, Minnesota, U.S., June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Tim Evans
20 hours ago

Manhunt for Gunman Who Shot Two Minnesota Lawmakers Enters Second Day

Israelis take shelter at the side of a highway as siren sounds following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in central Israel June 15, 2025. REUTERS/Oren Ben Hakoon
20 hours ago

Israel and Iran Bombard Each Other, Trump Says He Can ‘Easily’ End Conflict

President Donald Trump speaks as he attends a military parade to commemorate the U.S. Army's 250th Birthday, on the day of his 79th birthday, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
20 hours ago

Trump Vetoed an Israeli Plan to Kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, US Officials Say

22 hours ago

Newsom Wanted To Fast-Track the Delta Tunnel Project. The Legislature Slowed the Flow

23 hours ago

Five Weeknight Dishes: Seven Ingredients or Fewer, Because Summer

1 day ago

Big Fresno Fair Unveils Second Wave of 2025 Concert Acts

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend