On October 2nd, Tewksbury Public Library was scheduled to host a Zoom webinar titled “Males and Females are Different and that Matters in Sports.” For many, this was a welcome surprise, as Massachusetts libraries tend to be the site of drag queen story hours, not factually based events on gender. But sadly, two days before the webinar was to take place, the library sent out an email canceling it. The library stated in an email that the cancelation was due to bullying and stress experienced by its staff.
In March, the library hosted trans activist Erin Reed to highlight the pro-trans view on biological males playing on female teams. MFI was not able to find any proof that Reed holds any qualifications to speak on this topic. However, the keynote speaker for the October event, Dr. Greg Brown, is a professor of exercise science at the University of Nebraska Kearney. His specialty is the anatomical and physiological factors that influence health and human performance. Additionally, his current research includes sex-based differences in sports performance. When we learned of the library’s cancelation of Dr. Brown’s webinar, we were incredibly disappointed that his pro-biology view was not going to be allowed a rebuttal to the trans activism presented in March.
As soon as the cancellation was announced, however, MFI and other allied groups mobilized their networks to petition the library to reinstate the event. Watch this video of citizens speaking up to library officials about its censorship and obvious viewpoint discrimination. Thankfully, the Tewksbury Public Library listened to the public outcry and rescheduled the event for last night. It was reported that over 100 people attended!
Public institutions, like the library, cannot deny the rights of citizens to hear certain viewpoints, because they may be controversial, particularly perspectives advocating for fair and safe play for females in sports. We are grateful that the library did the right thing by rescheduling the event. And we are also thankful for those who courageously stood up against unfair censorship, demonstrating that the voice of a few can truly make a vital difference!
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