The Mississippi Free Press reports:
Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee is withholding $110,000 of funding from the Madison County Library System allegedly on the basis of his personal religious beliefs, with library officials stating that he has demanded that the system initiate a purge of LGBTQ+ books before his office releases the money.
Tonja Johnson, executive director for the Madison County Library System, told the Mississippi Free Press in an afternoon interview that she first reached out to Mayor McGee after failing to receive the City of Ridgeland’s first quarterly payment of 2022.
Johnson said the mayor informed her that no payment was forthcoming. “He explained his opposition to what he called ‘homosexual materials’ in the library, that it went against his Christian beliefs, and that he would not release the money as the long as the materials were there,” the library director said.
Read the full article.
BREAKING: Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee is withholding $110,000 in funding from the Madison County Library System, allegedly demanding a full purge of Ridgeland Library’s LGBTQ+ books before funding it.
The board’s counsel says he is acting outside the law. https://t.co/YfvjHwCy5I
— Nick Judin (@nickjudin) January 26, 2022
One last thought: if you are sharing this story to make a point about Mississippi, I encourage you to remember that Mississippi is not just Gene McGee. Mississippi is also Tonja Johnson and the library board who voted unanimously to ignore his demands.https://t.co/YfvjHwCy5I
— Nick Judin (@nickjudin) January 26, 2022