As a government organization, Jacksonville public library must serve the public without regard to content based restrictions on speech, or submission to threats.
In turn, the library was wrong to cancel a LGBT prom event scheduled for Friday.
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The cancellation came in response to calls from a socially conservative activist, Elizabeth Johnston, to protest the event. The library explained, “After careful and extensive deliberation, the library has decided to cancel the Storybook Pride Prom… the library is not confident that it will be 100% prepared to provide a safe, secure environment for customers, staff, volunteers, contractors, protesters and active supporters, and most of all for the teens themselves.”
This is a silly excuse.
The threat consideration would appear — absent other indicators not disclosed by the library — to be overemphasized here. There is no evidence that Johnston or her supporters would have endangered those attending the library. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office also has more than 2,000 sworn officers in its ranks. It could have spared 100 to secure the event.
Moreover, the event should have gone ahead for a basic reason: to preserve the right to organize lawful community events free from threat. Whatever we think about LGBT activism towards school age citizens (and I have my concerns), we must not deny our fellow citizens the use of public facilities for events those facilities are funded to provide.
Johnston had the right to protest at the library, and conduct her own event there on another day. The LGBT attendees had the right to attend their event. The library and Jacksonville government have the responsibility to ensure the safety and free expression of all.
