The Augusta County Library Pride Day was cancelled last week with only a few days of notice at the direction of the Board of Supervisors.
The event, in the works for months, had 15 businesses and organizations signed up to participate, many who had been involved in the planning.
Organizations that were set to take part in the Pride Day included the Mary Baldwin University Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club, Shenandoah LGBTQ Center, People Places, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Waynesboro, the Virginia Library Association LGBTQIA+ Forum, Project Horizon, New Directions, Valley Community Services Board and UVA Gender Health Clinic.
Businesses advertised as participating in the Pride Day included Northwestern Mutual, Buzz Cut Books, The Beautiful Idea, Heard The Store, The Matriarchists and Skye Raine, a community resource navigator.
Cancellation sends wrong message to queer community
While the Staunton-based Shenandoah LGBTQ Center picked up the pieces and moved forward with the event today under a new title “Can’t Cancel Pride,” the message to the queer community and its allies remains – in Augusta County, it seems, the BOS has no interest in celebrating their individuality and connecting them to vital resources.
Shenandoah LGBTQ Center Executive Director AnhThu Nguyen said she was deeply disappointed in the decision by the BOS and that it caused “irreparable harm” and has done a “disservice to the entire community.”
“This unique event offered crucial opportunities for the education, care and celebration for a community whose rights and existence are currently being challenged across the county. I am grateful to the Augusta County Library staff for their partnership and the leadership demonstrated in the planning of this event.
“The decision made by the Augusta County Board of Supervisors causes irreparable harm and is fundamentally misaligned with what I know and love about our local library systems.
“Libraries are for everyone. This decision does a disservice to the entire community.”
Event had been promoted on social media, library website
It seems the matter could have been handled weeks, if not months before, if there had been an objection by any member of the conservative BOS.
The members of the Board of Supervisors put out a statement on Friday, saying the “Board of Supervisors, Augusta County Library Board and county administration were not informed in advance of the planned Library Pride Day program and only became aware of it recently.
“The Board of Supervisors determined that additional vetting and consideration of the event was warranted and felt it best to cancel the event.”
The library shared the ACL Pride Day cancellation with the public – and the specific reason why – on its social media accounts.
“Our planned Pride Month program has been cancelled following direction by the Board of Supervisors. Augusta County Library remains deeply committed to serving everyone in our community. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we will provide updates if our community partners make additional plans,” the post read.
The ACL librarian also later commented on the thread.
“To provide a point of clarification, this decision was made and passed down to us by the Augusta County Board of Supervisors, NOT the Augusta County Library Board. No Augusta County Library staff member or board member had any role in the decision to cancel the event.
“While we are immensely disappointed in this decision and were/are in full cooperation in the answering of any questions, discussions, and addressing concerns, we respect the decision of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors and kindly ask that any comments on this post mirror our philosophy as a library system – providing dignity, empathy, and safe and engaging spaces for all peoples of our wonderful community, no questions asked.
“If there are legitimate concerns, questions, or feedback, positive or negative, regarding this matter, please direct them to the Augusta County Board of Supervisors. We greatly appreciate our community’s continued support of the Augusta County Library system and the many programs, services and materials we provide.
While the BOS, library board and county administration may have not gotten wind of the event until a matter of days before it was held, it been promoted on social media and the library’s calendar on its website. Its partners had also promoted the event.
‘Not outside their purview’ to get involved in programming
Augusta County Communications Manager Mia Kivlighan admitted that the BOS doesn’t usually offer direction to the library on its programming – with a couple of exceptions.
“Though the Board of Supervisors, the Library Board and county administration do not get involved on a regular basis with the planning of events, it is not outside of their purview to do so,” Kivlighan said in the statement to AFP today.
“In the past, board members have become involved in programming. For example, the movie night, at Natural Chimneys, held in the fall, came from the initiative of a board member. Draft Days, too, had board advocacy when the Sweet Dreams event came to a close during COVID.”
The Augusta County Library Board of Trustees is appointed by members of the BOS. The library board includes one citizen from each magisterial district and is appointed by the Board of Supervisors for a term of four years.
The library director, according to its bylaws, is charged with the administration and operation of the county library.
In its collaboration policy, the Library Board of Trustees delegates development of collaborations to the director of the library and designated staff. The collaborations should be consistent with the library’s philosophy, mission, vision and values.
A statement on the cancelled event page reinforces that the library and its programming “is designed to be welcoming and inclusive to all populations, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, political view or any other identities or belief systems.
“The library and its staff are committed to providing programs and services that impact and reach all members of our shared community. We strive to create a library that is a home to all people and that provides an educational, fun, fulfilling and innovative selection of programs and services for the community.”
The “Can’t Cancel Pride” event runs through 6 p.m. Monday night at the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center at 13 W. Beverley St. in Staunton. The center is located on the building’s fifth floor.
Augusta Free Press reached out to all seven members of the Board of Supervisors individually for comment on the cancellation. None replied to AFP outside of the joint statement sent on Friday.
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Crystal Graham
