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North 4th Street, St. Charles, Missouri.

#St. Charles #St. Charles County #Missouri

St. Charles City-County Library CEO John Greifzu said the move is part of a push to make the library "welcoming to everyone."

Ethan Colbert at St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

ST. CHARLES COUNTY — Library employees here have been ordered to remove flags — including LGBTQ pride flags— and other decor that "promotes personal beliefs" from their workspaces, officials said on Tuesday. St. Charles City-County Library CEO John Greifzu said the move is part of a push to make the library "welcoming to everyone." In a statement that Greifzu said was shared with library staff this week, employees were reminded that workspace displays should "not promote personal beliefs, social agendas, political affiliations, advocacy positions, social positions or personal identity expression." But some library employees, including some who identify as members or allies of the LGBTQ community, say they were targeted. Their pride flags had been up for years, but, in the recent warning, they were told they could face "disciplinary action" for not removing them.

PROMO Missouri, the state's largest LGBTQ advocacy organization, criticized the move. "Policies like this only reinforce the idea that simply being LGBTQ+ is political and that we shouldn't have the ability to freely express ourselves," said spokesperson Robert Fischer. "Expression is a First Amendment right and should be treated as such by any government entity." Greifzu, however, said no employees or particular flags have been targeted and that the policy has been in effect, with various levels of adherence, for roughly a decade. Over the years, employees have had to remove a St. Louis Cardinals flag and a "Thin Blue Line" flag, which signals support for law enforcement, as well, officials said. This latest push limits employees to only showing the American or the Missouri state flag on their desks. Flags promoting law enforcement and first responders, the Black Lives Matter movement and other "various cultural movements" are barred, including in non-public areas. Flags from other states or other countries are also not allowed under the policy. The push, Griefzu said Tuesday, was sparked by "a concern brought to the administration's attention regarding the display of a flag representing personal beliefs in a staff workspace." The ban applies to images on other items, too, such as mouse pads, screensavers, stickers or reusable cups so the library can "uphold impartiality" and be a professional and neutral space, he said.

Shameful and disgraceful from St. Charles City-County Library here.

They have issued a bigotry-fueled ban on LGBTQ+ Pride Flags and “personal beliefs” decor (including sports teams).

#St. Charles County Missouri #St. Charles County #St. Charles #Missouri #Libraries #LGBTQ+#LGBTQ+ Pride Flag #St. Charles City County Library