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Public commenter urges removal of LGBTQ books at Botetourt County library meeting
Summary
During the April 8 meeting of the Botetourt County Library Board of Trustees, Carl Morris of the Valley District urged trustees to remove LGBTQ books from library collections, citing religious objections; the board took no formal action during the meeting.
Carl Morris of the Valley District used the public comment period at the Botetourt County Library Board of Trustees meeting on April 8 to call for the removal of LGBTQ books from county library shelves, framing his objection in religious terms.
"In the Bible or in the nature of God, these books are against the principles of God," Morris said, citing Genesis and the biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah as part of his reasoning. He told trustees he believes the Bible establishes that mankind is male and female and said those convictions motivate his request that the library remove certain materials.
The board did not take any formal action in response to Morris’s remarks during the meeting. Public comment is recorded on the meeting agenda but does not, by itself, change library collection policy.
The session continued with routine business, branch updates and discussion of strategic priorities and budget concerns. No motions or votes related to library collections were recorded in the meeting minutes for April 8.
