The Ottawa Public Library is on board with International Pride Month in 2024, which is fine. Public libraries have a mandate to promote literacy, and librarians have a mandate to uphold intellectual freedom, freedom of expression, and freedom to read. Among the activities at the Ottawa Public Library is facilitating a Q&A and book signing for a transgender author named Kai Cheng Thom. The description of the event promises attendees, “This highly engaged, practically focused presentation will leave you with: 1) A simple but powerful psychological framework for understanding love and resilience as a practice, 2) 3 simple tools that you can use to resolve conflict and engage in meaningful conversations with people who may hold bigoted or prejudiced beliefs, 3) A visualization practice for self-care and personal development.” (Ottawa Public Library)

I hope the event goes on without disruption and that no one will try to shout down the author or otherwise interrupt the event. It could be that some people object to the event, and I am sure they will. I have not heard of complaints made to the Ottawa Public Library about the session, but rest assured, librarians deal with complaints about library events and book challenges routinely. I am confident that Sonia Bebbington, Chief Librarian of the Ottawa Public Library, will refer complainants to the Canadian Federation of Library Associations Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries. A key point in the statement reads, “Libraries have a core responsibility to safeguard and facilitate access to constitutionally protected expressions of knowledge, imagination, ideas, and opinion, including those which some individuals and groups consider unconventional, unpopular or unacceptable. To this end, in accordance with their mandates and professional values and standards, libraries provide, defend and promote equitable access to the widest possible variety of expressive content and resist calls for censorship and the adoption of systems that deny or restrict access to resources.” (CFLA)

As a librarian, my commitment to these principles is unwavering. While I may not always agree with or approve of what someone has to say, as long as it falls within the realm of ‘constitutionally protected expressions of knowledge, imagination, ideas, and opinion,’ I will staunchly defend their right to express it. This commitment extends to those with dissenting opinions on topics such as the planned Author Q&A and book signing at the Ottawa Public Library. Critics of International Pride Month have as much right to form and express their ideas and opinions, and the Ottawa Public Library will likely allow bookings for said critics. Unfortunately, some Pride supporters will not be as accommodating. I am sure of this, having seen what happened at the Toronto Public Library in 2019 when Meghan Murphy, a feminist author opposed to the admission of transgender women into female spaces, was booked as a speaker. Vickery Bowles, City Librarian of the Toronto Public Library, was pressured by activists and politicians, including the Mayor of Toronto, John Tory, and petitions from the public to cancel the event because it was hate speech.

 

Vickery Bowles stood her ground and allowed the event to go forward, though there were public protests. She said in an interview:

People in the community, on social media, have been describing this as hate speech. It’s not defined under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms … as a hate speech. Otherwise, Meghan Murphy would not be allowed to speak about these things. She would be facing criminal charges. But she’s not.

Sometimes … when you’re defending free speech, you’re in a very uncomfortable position where you’re defending perspectives and ideas and viewpoints that many in the community, or a few in the community, whatever, find offensive. 

But it’s at that time that it’s most important to stand up for free speech. That is what makes Canada a democratic country, and that is what we need today more than ever. (Vickery Bowles, cited in CBC Radio)

I am not interested in the Kai Cheng Thom International Pride Month event at the Ottawa Public Library. I will not attend, nor will I attend, a speaking event presented by Meghan Murphy or any other critic of International Pride Month, as I am too busy with activities in my life that bring me joy and happiness to bother. However, I will stand with the librarians who bear the brunt of the complaints and intimidation from those who would censor ‘perspectives and ideas and viewpoints that many in the community, or a few in the community, whatever, find offensive.’ Of that, you can be confident.

Posted by Geoffrey