Here’s a tiny tale about taxes, public libraries, “pride” month, and Hollywood queers.
Recently, I received in the mail a colorful brochure from my local library, the West Chicago Public Library, that outlines its summer offerings, most of which are for children and teens. Some of my grandkids were visiting but fortunately didn’t see it because one of the offerings for “Adults” is “Queer in Hollywood: LGBTQ+ Depictions in Classic Film.” The poorly worded description says,
Queer individuals have occurred in films dating back to the earliest days of the filmmaking industry. Join film historian Dr. Annette Bochenek as she presents groundbreaking portrayals of queer individuals and the impact of the Production Code on their depictions in classic cinema.
Out of curiosity, I called the library to find out if my taxes are subsidizing Bochenek’s lecture on homosexuality in film. I was told that for that information, I needed to call back later in the afternoon to talk to Rosario Zavala, the adult services librarian, so I called at 5:00 p.m.
The first person I spoke to told me Zavala wasn’t in. I replied that surely someone in the library knows what Bochenek is being paid. The next person I was passed off to said Zavala was, indeed, in.
Zavala told me that information about how much money is spent on speakers is found in board minutes. I told her I wasn’t interested in the total amount of money available for speakers. I just wanted to know what Bochenek, who is speaking in June, will be paid.
Zavala next told me that that information can’t be shared. I then asked if she were actually saying that the public whose taxes are being used to fund the public library cannot know how their money is spent.
She, who was already audibly nervous, conceded that I was entitled to that information, but she claimed she didn’t know the figure. She told me she would check with her manager and get back to me today, which she did.
Bochenek is being paid $350 for her one-hour talk on “queers” in Hollywood.
Before yesterday’s call ended, Zavala asked me why I wanted that information and if it had to do with the “LGBTQ+” topic. I told her that as a resident, my reasons for seeking information on how my taxes are spent are irrelevant.
As it turns out, Bochenek, an associate professor at Purdue University and an adjunct lecturer at Dominican University, gives her lecture on queers at libraries all over Illinois, including this June at the Fremont Public Library, Wilmette Public Library, Helen Plum Library, Prospect Heights Public Library, and Mount Prospect Public Library.
She also gets paid by public libraries in other states for delivering her queer lecture virtually, libraries like the Poughkeepsie Public Library (NY), Topsfield Town Library (MA), Wakefield Library (MA), and Groton Public Library (MA).
Bochenek sucks money out of taxpayers’ pockets to lecture on Hollywood queers, and most taxpayers have no idea. This is just one small example of the government wasting the people’s hard-earned money on unnecessary, non-essential cr*p.
No Illinois public library wastes more money celebrating sexual perversity than the Chicago Public Library system, which has not one, not two, but three webpages dedicated to homoerotic pride with forty-four events, including the following:
- Drag Story Time (0 months-5 years),
- Bilingual Drag Story Time (0 months-5 years),
- Rainbow Family Story Time (0 months-5 years),
- Pride Story Time (0 months-5 years)
- Banned Books Drag Trivia (13-19 year-olds): “Come test your knowledge on banned books and literary censorship!”
- Film Screening: Kinky Boots (2005) (13-19-year-olds)
- Pride Flag Art: DIY for Teens (13-19-year-olds)
- Pride Cookie Decorating (13-19-year-olds)
- Growing up Trans: Ask Me Anything (13-19-years-old)
- Pride Book Celebration (13-19-year-olds): “Do you have a favorite Pride themed book that needs to be shared? Come to a Pride Book Celebration. We will reflect on all the titles that are shared and LGBTQIA joy.”
- Where to Go for Queer Health Resources (13-year-olds to adults)
Imagine what our Founding Fathers would think if they saw what Americans’ taxes are used for even as states like Illinois and the country are drowning in debt.
This should outrage all citizens. Government money forcibly extracted from citizens should not be used to celebrate sexual degeneracy or what leftists call “LGBTQIA joy.”