Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker is standing by her decision to remove a badge from a summer reading program that would have encouraged participants, some of whom are children, to consume LGBTQ materials.
The Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge is designed to incentivize summer reading, presumably for students who are on their summer break from school. The city website says participants can “Earn badges when you track your reading and activities” and “… earn a free book when you complete the challenge by earning at least 6 badges.”
Participants are encouraged to read books about Texas or that have “a food in the title, … an animal on the cover, … a cover that is your favorite color,” or that is “thicker than your little finger, … a graphic novel or some manga,” among other recommendations.
Other badges can be earned for learning about Juneteenth, reading about American Independence, becoming more informed about local community history, connecting with local arts, and hitting reading time milestones.
The requirements for different badges differ based on the reader’s age, with specific criteria for school age, teenagers, and adults.
However, shortly after the program’s announcement, For Liberty and Justice, a Christian organization, asked residents to share their “concerns and disappointment” with Parker, explaining, “We believe this is pushing an anti-biblical agenda straight towards our children, and we are calling on the body of Christ to TAKE A STAND!”
The organization describes itself as “a passionate group of Christ-followers who have given our ‘yes’ to fight for our God-given Liberties, stand for Biblical Justice, and make the crooked path straight for our generation and the next by seeking reformation in our government!”
For Liberty and Justice was founded by Rep. Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth) prior to his run for office.
To earn the Pride badge, participants were instructed to “Read a book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist” and “Learn more about the history of Pride Month.”
Mayor Parker directed that the badge be removed after learning of its existence, explaining, “I did not approve the optional badges and activities that were set to be included in the challenge before it went live,” per Texas Scorecard.
“I want all families to feel welcomed to participate, understanding that parents are the right ones to make decisions for the activities that their children are engaging in,” she continued. “My aim is not to tell families what is right for them, but instead allow families to make those decisions on reading and learning in ways that make sense for each of them.”
“Ultimately, my goal is not to make any political statement. The program is just about fun and encouraging literacy for families during the summer season,” she concluded.
For Liberty and Justice applauded Parker’s stand, posting on Instagram, “Thank you @mayormattieparker for listening and acting swiftly to remove the requirement for children to read LGBTQ+ based content from the Fort Worth Library summer reading program.”
In protest, Fort Worth Council Member Elizabeth Beck started her own “Pride Activity Badge,” which encourages people to complete “the multi-age Pride activity badges” by August 12 in order to “receive an invite to join Councilwoman Beck at the end of the Summer Party.”
The applicable activities include things for “Baby Pride” and “Toddler Pride,” in addition to other requirements for older participants. For toddlers, Beck suggests they “Color a pride flag” and “Read a picture book together about Pride or that features LGBTQ+ characters.”
For older students, recommended books include Hell Followed With Us, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, This Book is Gay, Burn Down, Rise Up, This Is Why They Hate Us, Two Boys Kissing, She Gets the Girl, and other books containing LGBTQ themes.
Adults participating in the program are instructed to “Attend a Pride program at your local library” and read various materials about LGBTQ history. The recommendations reflect the same items previously available through the official program.
In a recent Fort Worth City Council Meeting, pro-LGBTQ activists criticized Mayor Parker’s decision to remove the LGBTQ badge from the reading challenge.
Jonah Murray, the president of a transgender community center called Finn’s Place, said during public comment, “LGBTQ and trans rights are a slippery slope and you’ve taken a dangerous first step … We can’t trust you with an issue as small as this, we cannot trust you when it comes to larger issues. And those larger issues are coming.”
However, Mayor Parker defended her decision, stating, “Many of you may not agree with me, and that is okay. But I strongly believe that parents are the ultimate decision-makers for their own families and can walk into our Fort Worth Public Library today, right now, and find tremendous resources that reflect their own family for their children.”
“Had I dug in or been asked about the Mayor[‘s] Summer Reading Challenge, I personally would have said let’s focus on minutes read, total number of books, and allowing our parents and our caregivers to guide their own learner in the library,” she added.
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