Despite worldwide support, local homophobes may drive this LGBTQ-friendly library into the ground

Patmos Library
Photo: Facebook

Some homophobic citizens in this Michigan township may win out after all against the little queer-friendly library that could.

The small community of Patmos, located in Ottawa County’s Jamestown Township, found itself in an uproar this summer over the Patmos Library shelving books with LGBTQ+ characters and themes. The library’s annual millage (a.k.a. funding from local property taxes) for 2023 failed to pass the town vote in August due to the backlash, putting its future in jeopardy.

With citizens putting up signs like these, there was no question as to why the millage failed:

The story went viral, and donations to the library’s GoFundMe took off in a big way. In just over a month, they raised $264,535 from donors across the world, overshooting their annual millage of $245,000 through individual donations alone.

Now, a second attempt to secure city funding has been shot down, with their 10-year levy renewal losing in a vote of ~55%-45%. Though they’ve raised enough money to stay open for the short-term, the cut-off from city funding has library officials wondering when they’ll have to close their doors.

Bridge Michigan reports that Library Board President Larry Walton feared…

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