In an alarming development for the LGBTQ+ community in Kansas, the public library in the city of St. Marys has removed all youth-oriented LGBTQ+ books from its shelves; a compromise so the library may secure its lease for another year. This decision was in response to pressure from the St. Mary’s City Commission, under influence by the anti-LGBTQ religiously affiliated group named Society of St. Pius the 10th. City commissioner Gerard Kleinsmith had been particularly vocal in this debate, expressing his desire to terminate the library’s lease due to the inclusion of transgender-inclusive literature, which he derogatorily refers to as garbage. Despite claiming to oppose censorship, Kleinsmith and other commissioners, all members of the Society of St. Pius the 10th, have made it clear that their religious views heavily influence their decisions regarding the library’s content. Moreover, St. Marys mayor Matthew Childs, known for formulating a “morals clause” for the city’s public library lease and his opposition to LGBTQ+ materials in the library, recently lost his bid for a seat on the USD 321 Kaw Valley School Board. His defeat in the school board election, where he campaigned against the inclusion of LGBTQ+ content in educational settings, reflects the ongoing cultural and political tensions in the region.
