Move over “Fahrenheit 451,” a new dystopia is in town. People of all ages have been captured by the dystopian literature that fills bookstores and libraries, but most have never believed that such things would come true in the United States. After all, this country was founded on individual freedoms and rights. However, a Mississippi mayor is here to try to prove that belief wrong. Earlier this year, Mayor Gene McGee of Ridgeland proposed to withhold funding to the public library until it purges every LGBTQ+ book off its shelves. This type of censorship, solely based on McGee’s personal beliefs, would only help create an uneducated community, as it is a person’s personal freedom to educate themselves on whatever topic they choose.
News outlets big and small have picked up on the story that a Mississippi mayor is attempting to withhold $110,000 from a public library until all LGBTQ+ books have been discarded. As this news spreads, the image of bigotry and hate is painted over the entirety of the state of Mississippi. McGee has publicly stated that attempting to withhold this funding to the public library comes from his personal Christian beliefs, and that he “only serves the great Lord” when it comes to this decision. This directly goes against the U.S. Constitution, which requires the separation of church and state. The fact that McGee practically admitted that he, a government figure, is willing to go against the Constitution based on his own bigoted values proves how he should not be working in the government.
The good news, however, is that the Mississippi community is not standing for this, along with the Board of Aldermen who voted down McGee’s proposal. Almost 2,000 people have already donated over $87,000 to the library, and hopefully, more donations will come in as time goes on. One of the main groups that have helped raise this amount of money is, believe it or not, furries. The furry community found out about the issue in Mississippi and, using Twitter to spread the message, organized to support the fundraiser.
On top of raising money, many have spoken out against the blatant attempt at censorship. Ole Miss hosted a brown bag “Religion for Lunch” talk Feb. 1, where members of the UM community discussed McGee’s decision. This decision might just backfire on him, as now more and more people are talking about and showing support for LGBTQ+ issues.
The idea that a public authority figure is actively trying to censor a basic topic within society is disgusting. Taking away LGBTQ+ imagery can be disconcerting to youth, as only seeing heterosexual couples portrayed in literature can make some youth feel ostrasized. Additionally, it takes away educational literature people might need in order to create a well-informed opinion. Many Ole Miss students come from Ridgeland, and taking away a resource that these students can use to educate themselves will only hurt the student body as a whole. Censorship of this magnitude should not be tolerated, and we as Mississippi residents need to protect our freedom.
Willow Crosby is a sophomore majoring in accounting from Tupelo.
