Smithtown Library Board Reverses LGBTQ+ Pride Children's Room Ban

SMITHTOWN, NY — On Tuesday, the Smithtown Library Board voted to remove LGBTQ+ Pride month displays from children's rooms. The move sparked controversy, with politicians like New York Governor Kathy Hochul joining those who condemned the decision on social media.

Two days later, the board convened an emergency meeting and held another vote. This time, the trustees voted four to two to reverse the decision. One board member abstained.

The Thursday evening meeting had over 1,000 people join via phone and Zoom, filling the online meeting's capacity.

The Smithtown Library system runs four library branch buildings.

The board issued a statement:

"Earlier this evening the Board of Trustees of the Smithtown Library rescinded our earlier decision to remove Pride displays from our Library’s Children’s Departments. The majority of the Board recognizes that our earlier decision was made without the time, care and due diligence that a decision of this type deserves and that it was the wrong decision. Moving forward we will commit our collective energies toward ensuring that we get the advice and guidance needed from our library administrators, staff, outside experts, legal counsel and most importantly from Smithtown residents before we make important decisions regarding our library."

Thomas Maher, the board's vice president, was the one trustee who changed his vote.

"In my role as a trustee, I will continue to support the library being an open, safe, accepting place for everyone," he said during the meeting.

Marie Gergenti, a trustee who maintained her vote to ban the displays, called the response to the original vote "unjustified and totally inappropriate."

"It is still my concern to shield some of these books from the little kids from the children's area," she said.

Theresa C. Grisafi was the other trustee who kept her vote the same. She said the original decision was about the age-appropriateness of the material, not "an attack on Pride."

Marilyn Lo Presti, another board member who, abstained from Thursday's vote.

On Thursday, Gov. Hochul said she is directing the state Division of Human Rights to investigate "reports of anti-LGBTQ+ bias at Long Island libraries."

"Public places are prohibited by law from engaging in discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Everyone—and particularly our state's young people—deserves to feel welcome at the library. For many LGBTQ+ kids, libraries are a place of refuge and information where they can be welcomed and affirmed for who they are," she said in a statement.