[Publib] anti-gay protestors

[Eric Norton]

Connie:
At each of our board meetings we have an "Open Forum" agenda item, 
right after the call to order and roll call.  The following statement 
is read to preface that segment of the meeting:

"The open forum is at the option of the Library Board President and 
ground rules may be established in order to ensure the orderly 
conduct of business.  Please keep in mind that this is a meeting of 
the Library Board, open to the public, and not a public 
hearing.  Persons wishing to address the Library Board may make a 
statement as long as it pertains to a specific agenda 
item.  Individuals should not expect to engage in discussion with the 
members of the Library Board.  The Board President may or may not 
respond to statements made."

The second sentence there is the crucial one.  Even if your board 
doesn't have such a portion of their meeting, it is a meeting of a 
specific body open to the public and not a hearing.  In many cases, 
if you want to speak at such a meeting you have to get on the agenda, 
which means going through the president or secretary of the 
board.  Make it clear to these folks that they can't just spend your 
board's time with these complaints.

As a Christian, myself, I understand that my life should emphasize 
humility; love for others, regardless of their similarity to me; and 
non-judgement.   Your trouble-makers might not consider me a 
right-thinking Christian (perhaps I'm a left-thinking 
Christian).  Unfortunately, as much as we'd love to change people's 
minds, that generally isn't possible outside of catastrophic events 
(see Saul, blinding of) but perhaps you can elicit some response from 
the other end of the spectrum.  Obviously you can't and don't want to 
arrange some sort of confrontation between two groups (PFLAG and the 
good Chrisitans, say) since that would engender more 
problems.  Instead, could you have local clergy who willingly  love 
and support gay parishioners send you letters thanking you for your 
inclusion of materials that depict people of the GLBTQ persuasion in 
a positive light?  Then those could be read during the correspondence 
portion of the meeting which your disgruntled Christian folks would hear.

Forgiveness is another paramount Christian virtue.  It won't get rid 
of your problematic Christians but I hear it is good for your own 
blood pressure.  Those squeezable stress balls are good, too.  Then 
again, my wife, who used to work for a state children and family 
services agency says that her boss always told them that an ice cream 
sundae after a particularly painful emotional event was a good cure.




Eric Norton
Head of Adult Services
McMillan Memorial Library
490 E. Grand Ave.
Wisconsin Rapids WI 54494
715-422-5135
enorton at scls.lib.wi.us

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