The Jacksonville Library in Riverside had dozens of people protesting outside its doors Friday. This comes after the director at the Willow Branch library decided to cancel a youth Pride Prom.
Action News Jax first told viewers about it earlier this week, and the decision left dozens of members in the LGBTQ community angry.
Dozens of protesters said they felt the library made a mistake. The library director apologized for canceling the Pride Prom. However, library officials said they didn’t know if everyone would be safe if they hosted it.
Library officials posted this message to their social media: “Pride Prom was to provide a safe, inclusive and positive environment where teens could feel free to be themselves. After hearing about threats aimed at attendees, we no longer felt that we could achieve those goals."
STORY: Jacksonville library, citing safety concerns, cancels event meant for LGBTQ teens
That didn’t stop many people, like Costas Quindoza, from letting their voices be heard Friday about why they were against that decision.
“When I heard it was canceled, I was actually devastated for them and slightly angered by it, as well,” Quindoza said.
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Quindoza said he was once a teen who knows what it feels like not to have support for just being yourself. He said his family was supportive but it wasn’t always the same for his friends.
“I went to my prom, but I didn’t feel like I could be my authentic self, I had to tone my menace down. Some of my friends were disowned by their parents. Some of my friends were beaten up by their parents for just trying to express who they were,” Quindoza said.
That's why he felt like it was important to support the LGBTQ youth and that events like Pride Prom are important and necessary for the youth to feel loved, safe and supported.
“We’re not going anywhere, and we don’t mean anyone any harm. We just want to exist,” Quindoza said.
Library officials said the cancellation does not mean they agree with the people who threatened to protest the event originally but said their number one priority is making sure the people who use their space are safe.
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