Anti-Gay Bigotry is Alive and Well in Small Town Virginia

UPDATED: A reader from Gloucester County who actually saw the Pride Month display before it was taken down passed along some information that underscores Pastor Woodard's bigotry and the reality that he cannot countenance recognition of the fact that LGBT citizens exist much less that some of us have made significant contributions to our society and culture. Here's the added details:
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The only sign on the display read, "June is Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Month" with a graphic of a person in rainbow colors, a copy of the Rainbow flag and a graphic that said "Gay Pride" and "Be Yourself".
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The materials included in the display included works by Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Rita Mae Brown, Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman and Alice Walker; music CD's by Sir Elton John, Melissa Etheridge and the Indigo Girls; a movie DVD, "Milk", starring Sean Penn, about Harvey Milk.
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There were also biographies Andy Warhol, T.E. Lawrence, Alexander the Great, and Michelangelo, together with non-fiction books about LGBT issues and some fiction books for adults and young adults.
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Not exactly subversive stuff or a "promotion of homosexuality." Obviously, the LGBT individuals have contributed more to culture and society than Woodard's piss ant far right little church. Let's be blunt: Woodard is a homophobic bigot plan and simple.
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ORIGINAL POST: While some of Virginia's larger cities are crawling their way into the 21st century and becoming LGBT accepting - despite the obstacle thrown in their paths by Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and the loony Ken Cuccinelli - things remain in the 17th century in rural areas where anti-gay bigotry is alive and well and the sensibilities of bigots trump the rights of taxpaying citizens. A case in point is nearby Gloucester County, Virginia (estimated population 36,858) which now finds itself the subject of media attention because of the removal of an innocuous Pride Month display in the local library. I've mentioned this situation previously and the challenge to the bigotry spearheaded by County Supervisor Gregory Woodard - a fundamentalist pastor - who seems just a tad too hysterical in his opposition to all things gay if you get my drift. Fortunately, the Daily Press is not letting the story die and has documented that a handful of complaints to the bigoted Mr. Woodard caused the demise of the library display. Other members of the Board of Supervisors are trying to duck the issue by saying there are more important things to ficus upon. In that regard they are somewhat correct. Gloucester is a backwater and by embracing bigotry it will remain that way even as the rest of the world moves on. Here are highlights from the latest Daily Press story on the controversy:
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Copies of hundreds of pages of emails, obtained by the Daily Press from Gloucester County under a Freedom of Information Act request, show that a small number of complaints about a gay pride exhibit at the Gloucester Public Library caused a flurry of communication between county supervisors and officials. Whether the issue will get a public hearing remains to be seen.
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Bill Walker, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said in a phone interview Tuesday that the agenda for the September meeting has not been set. Whether or not the gay pride exhibit is discussed at the meeting, Walker said Library Director Diane Rebertus has the authority to install and take down exhibits. "It's unfortunate that this whole thing has taken the path it has," Walker said. Rebertus referred to the display in an email as "low-key." It was installed June 1 and coincided with June being gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender month.
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The display first caught the attention of a member of the Board of Supervisors more than two weeks after it had been put up. Supervisor Gregory Woodard received an email June 18 from a Gloucester resident who was "offended by the promotion of homosexuality by our library."
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On June 20, Woodard forwarded the email to County Administrator Brenda Garton. She sent out an email saying Rebertus received a complaint from a woman on June 17. . . . On June 22, Woodard wrote to Garton in an email that he was surprised the Library would make a decision to promote gay rights month. Garton responded in an email that she doesn't think anyone intended for the display to promote anything, "just like celebrating military month with a display of materials isn't promoting war." Minutes later, Woodard responded by email to Garton to ask Rebertus to make the Library Board consider the issue of promoting gay rights.
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Woodard asked Board of Supervisors Chairman Christian "Buddy" Rilee to place the issue on the July meeting agenda, but Rilee declined. "There are so many important issues facing Gloucester and we do not need to go there when it comes to this topic," Rilee wrote.
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On a positive note, Supervisor Woodard has recently announced that he would not seek re-election to the Gloucester Board of Supervisors. Hopefully, with Woodard's exit from the Board of Supervisors his style of Christian hate filled bigotry will go with him.