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Mesa County Exhibit Provokes ControversyThe American Civil Liberties Union’s Colorado chapter has asked the Mesa County (Colo.) Public Library to clarify its policies on religious displays in response to a local group’s exhibit that is critical of homosexuality and divorce, the Vail Daily reported February 8.“What does a reasonable person think when they see this? They think the religious right has taken over the library,” said Bill Hugenberg, a retired local attorney who contacted the ACLU February 5 after finding no posted disclaimer on the display by Christians for Healthy Families explaining that the library does not endorse exhibitors’ viewpoints. Carol Anderson said she was inspired to mount her group’s display—which urges viewers to “Call on God today. Your eternity depends on it”—by a photo exhibit of families with same-sex parents sponsored by a gay-rights advocacy group last August. “They had a pro-homosexual display . . . which I didn’t feel was appropriate because I’m a Christian,” she said in the February 3 Grand Junction Sentinel. “Thank goodness free speech goes both ways.” “Most people understand we’re not sponsoring it,” MCPL public services director Shana Wade told the Sentinel, explaining that groups “just want to be heard. That’s why we have this place.” Hugenberg, who pointed out that the August display didn’t refer to religion or God, said he would take the issue to the library board if a disclaimer wasn’t posted by mid-February. “Nobody’s threatening litigation, but it’s always a possibility,” he said. Posted February 9, 2007. |
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