A West Michigan township has defunded its library amid a heated debate about books with LGBTQ+ themes. Former staff members of the library told WGVU’s Kylie Ambu they’ve been battling pressure from residents for months.
Patmos Library has been the center of debate in Jamestown Charter Township for months. For some, tension came to a head on Tuesday, as citizens voted against the renewal of a millage that supplies the library 84% of its $245,000 annual budget. The millage failed with 1,905 no votes to 1,142 yes votes.
The debate began when the book Gender Queer: A Memoir was discovered on the shelf in November.
It gained momentum earlier this year when disapproving residents began attending library board meetings, voicing their frustration of the book, and others with LGBTQ+ themes, in the public library.