LGBTQ+ Overreach @ Okefenokee Regional Library System

        In the October 2022 Board meeting where the flags were reluctantly voted to be removed, the Waycross library manager was asked how her staff would feel, and she said, “Many of my staff or their immediate families identify in this community with the LGBTQ community, and, if they don’t, they are strong allies for that community . . . One of our staff members applied for the position, came in and asked for a job, because of those flags . . . add to the fact that they [the staff] identify as part of that community but also that they see when people stand in front of those flags and openly weep. And I know everybody’s like ‘oh, this will just be at least by tomorrow it’ll be over,” but it won’t be, not for the staff and not for the people who use our library."

       The chair of the Waycross Board during that meeting told the Waycross library manager, “I’m glad you put those flags up there.”

      The chair told the Waycross library manager, “Library staff is going to go through a grieving process . . . you all [the library manager and her staff] are vessels for your cause, and I don’t think that’s defined by the flags. Now, I think it has been recognized because of the flags, and now your work begins for your community.” 

        In the two pages dedicated to special rights for Transgender Employees, Appendix A, the manual further explained the harassment policy, stating, "An employee has the right to be addressed by the name and pronoun that correspond to the employee’s gender identity . . . refusal to respect an employee’s gender identity (for example, intentionally referring to the employee by a name or pronoun that does not correspond to the employee’s gender identity) is considered harassment."

      Appendix A  was removed in February 2023 after our concerns, BUT the director, Martha, made it very clear that the lawyer, Todd Carter, only recommended removing it because it was “redundant” since those protections were already included in the discrimination and sexual harassment policy on page 6 (see image above). The lawyer stated in his letter, “I believe that it would be best if that Appendix be removed since it is not really necessary given the protection for transgenders that is already contained in the personnel policy.” 

      During the February 2023 Regional Board meeting where the Board removed Appendix A but only because it was "redundant," which just hides the transgender policies instead of removing them, a woman walked up to the men’s restroom, turned and stared at a group of people who were there to protest the transgender bathroom policy, and then boldly walked in the men’s restroom. The women’s restroom was not blocked. This was clearly a statement to us saying, “Watch this! I can go in whatever restroom I want!”

      Martha, the director, stated in an email concerning that day, “There were two time-sensitive situations where two different patrons felt compelled to use the bathroom that they could access even though it was not the correct bathroom . . . We were able to ask that the prayer vigils be relocated a distance away from the bathrooms to restore easy access for patrons. However, there were some people who claimed that the vigil-holders intentionally blocked access to the bathrooms and they responded by then purposely going into the incorrect bathroom.” I dispute the claim that bathrooms were “blocked” by “prayer vigils,” but even if they were, the two individuals could have easily tapped a shoulder or said, “excuse me,” instead of going in the wrong bathroom. Also, note that she acknowledges more than just the two “time-sensitive situations,” meaning there were at least three people who went in the wrong restroom during that one day!

      Most notably, even though attorney Todd Carter's letter stated, "I believe that a policy, either unwritten or written, that requires employees to use the bathroom of their biological sex would be upheld as constitutional," and "I believe that a policy that requires patrons to use the bathroom of their biological gender would be upheld," 

      the Vice Chair of the Regional Library Board, in response to the at least three people in one day going in the wrong restroom, argued in an email for allowing “transgender” and “non-conforming” individuals to use the wrong restroom, stating, “I believe the explanation provided by Conner regarding how the staff intervenes to minimize the opportunity for tragic incidents is a better intervention than a policy. I say this because of the evidence of abuse that occurs when restrictive policies are put in place. The below article provides evidence of the increase of abuse to transgender and gender non-conforming youth when they are forced to use a birth-gender restroom.” Obviously, this line of reasoning ignores our request for providing single stall restroom access where they would not be “forced to use a birth-gender restroom,” but more notably, this response also confirms that, for at least the Vice Chair of the Regional Library Board, current library policy does allow transgender identifying individuals to use the opposite restroom of their biology.