Sign this Petition to tell Fort Worth, Texas Mayor Mattie Parker that you support Public Libraries that provide opportunities for kids to learn more about our own uniqueness, and that we ALL deserve to be seen.

The Fort Worth,Texas Public Library removed an LGBTQ reading challenge from its Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge after city leadership received “over 30 complaints” from a LOCAL far right extremist group.  

During the initial launch of the program, it featured an OPTIONAL Pride badge for school age children who completed various challenges. The challenges included reading a book that featured an LGBTQ protagonist, reading about the history of Pride month, and drawing a self-portrait that “highlights your uniqueness.” 

Yes that’s right, it was OPTIONAL, which means if you don’t want your reading age child to read a book with an LGBTQ character in it, you can “exercise your parental rights” and tell them not to. Just like others can “exercise THEIR parental rights” and encourage their child to learn about Harvey Milk and the Stonewall Riots.

After the Fort Worth Library has already launched the program, the far right, anti LGBTQ group “For Liberty and Justice” made a social media post and called the reading challenge an “anti-biblical agenda towards children.” They encouraged their followers to send complaints about ONE singular component of the program, The Pride Badge.

According to a spokesperson for Mayor Parker, she received more than 30 email complaints about the program’s Pride content. (WOW!! 30 whole emails!)

30-40 emails and a few social media posts from an extremist group, who calls anything that mentions that the LGBTQ community merely exists “grooming”, SHOULD NOT be able to bully a Mayor into removing an opportunity for kids to simply learn something or feel seen. They are the minority.

PLEASE SIGN AND Let’s show our massive support for Fort Worth Public Library for promoting a love for reading, learning, and inclusivity as we enter Pride month, and send a clear message nationally that bullies don't win. We request that Mayor Parker puts the reading challenge back in. Y'all Means ALL. Fort Worth is a diverse city, and representation matters.