The Harris County LGBTQTIA+ Commission is planning a “banned book” fair.
The announcement came as members of the commission laid out policy recommendations for the county and provided a list of action items the commission plans to take this year to push its agenda.
Included amid “identifying ways the county can continue to combat HIV locally” and a proposal to help law enforcement “improve LGBTQIA+ cultural competency” is a plan to host a “banned book fair” to bring “awareness to censorship by showcasing banned books.”
Far-left activists have pushed the narrative that concerned citizens are seeking to “ban books” when parents have protested the presence of sexually explicit materials in children’s libraries. These “banned books” are actually available in nearly every bookstore and online, children may even take them to school. Citizens have simply asked that schools not carry them on the library shelves and instead leave it up to the parents to decide whether these materials are suitable for their children to read.
In 2023, Texas lawmakers passed the READER Act, prohibiting government school libraries from possessing or purchasing sexually explicit materials.
LGBT activists have called this “censorship.”
The commission has yet to announce a date for the fair as well as whether or not it will have any age limit.
Meanwhile, Texans are urging Gov. Greg Abbott to go further and fast-track legislation that would make protecting children from explicit material an “emergency” item this legislative session, as enforcement of the READER Act has been inconsistent. Citizens are asking for stronger protections and clear guidelines for schools.
In addition to the proposed fair, the Harris County LGBTQTIA+ Commission also proposed several policy changes in the report submitted to commissioners court.
One recommendation was to create a pipeline of homosexuals, bisexuals, and gender-confused people to staff county boards and commissions. The commission also suggested it should become the official LGBT advisory council for all county departments, including the sheriff’s office.
Additionally, the commission proposed spending taxpayer dollars to implement new LGBT training programs for government employees and provide LGBT materials to community centers in the county.
The LGBT commission was created in 2023 in a 4-1 vote of the commissioners court, with sole Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey of Precinct 3 voting no and saying: “I will not be supporting the motion and I think there are some unresolved issues related to this community. They deal with the grooming of children, they deal with fairness in women’s sports. Amongst others, I will not be supporting the motion.”
Democrats on the commissioners court have appointed prominent homosexuals and gender-confused individuals to the LGBT commission.
Mo Jenkins, a biological male that masquerades as a woman, is the most recent member of the 11-person commission.
Commissioner Ramsey is the only member of the commissioners court that has not nominated anyone to the LGBT commission.
