Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Madison County Library System saying he will no longer withhold payment. McGee had previously withheld $110,000 in library funding due to issues with what the mayor called sexual content in certain books.
Kids Fest Jackson will feature bounce houses, obstacle courses, a LEGO building area, a Nerf battle maze, a coloring area, photo ops with characters such as princesses and superheroes, slides, a 50-foot warrior jump course, artwork courses courtesy of local artists, balloon art, tricycle races, a magician, concession areas and more.
The City of Ridgeland’s Board of Aldermen is moving closer to restoring the library services contract and pledging to avoid censorship after an executive session last night. The board had paused the contract after a dispute with the Madison County Library Board over LGBTQ+ content on the shelves of the Ridgeland Public Library.
The Friends of the Ridgeland Library has now delivered half the $110,000 fund raised in support of the Madison County Library System. This money fills the hole left over after Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee defunded the library of the same amount following complaints against LGBTQ+ content in the collection and visible on the shelves, claiming an expired contract.
Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee’s attempt to censor the content of the city’s public library of what he calls “sexual content” is set for a resolution tonight. Protesters from an organization that believes that LGBTQ+ people practice “sexual perversion” plan to crowd the meeting and speaker list in support of the mayor’s book-banning plan.
Professor of Religion Mary Thurlkill hosted a brown bag “Religion for Lunch” conversation on Feb. 1, 2022, to discuss Ridgeland (Miss.) Mayor Gene McGee’s demand that the local public library purge LGBTQ+ books or not receive the $110,000 in funding they are due. Several students, faculty and staff members attended the discussion, including Associate Religion Professor Fei Lan.
CJ Winship (she/her) shares how Ridgeland Public Library gave her the resources she needed to reassure that she wasn’t broken just because she was gay. The representation of LGBTQ people like her in books helped CJ be at ease with just being herself.
Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee is withholding $110,000 of funding from the Madison County Library System allegedly on the basis of his personal religious beliefs, with library officials stating that he has demanded that the system initiate a purge of LGBTQ+ books before his office releases the money.
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