A Mississippi library is on track to receive its full budget, months after a mayor threatened to withhold money because the library displayed LGBTQ books for young readers.
Ridgeland and the Madison County Library System agreed this week to end the dispute. They said in a joint statement that libraries should present "all points of view." The Madison County Library System director, Tonja Johnson, said in January that Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee said he would withhold $110,000 from the Ridgeland Library because he received complaints about LGBTQ books.
The Republican mayor said, "sexual connotations are not appropriate for children when they enter the library."
The city of Ridgeland and the Madison County Library System said in a statement, “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Our libraries are a repository of knowledge and culture, providing far more than access to books.”
