6/7/2023 0 Comments Cranston ilibrary![]() I can not go into a theater and yell, ‘Fire!’ I believe we should be confronted, and talk to people who see the world differently than we do, but, my friends, there is a limit to free speech. “I believe with all my heart in free speech. They’re coming after our children,” continued Reverend Anderson. ![]() ![]() “These people are cowards because they’re not coming after people like me. “And I need to tell you: I am neither living in a fantasy world nor am I mentally ill. Donnie Anderson, referring to the people attending the panel inside the library. “They believe that people like me are either living in a fantasy world, or worse yet, mentally ill,” said the Reverend Dr. “Since the library decided to host this group, tonight we will have our own panel, right here, right now, with actual experts from the trans community.” And they are having their panel at the library, a place that we thought was a place full of information and truth. “It is a panel full of the worst combination of absolute ignorance and absolute certainty. “We are here tonight because the library is hosting a panel of anti-trans people whose life’s work is causing harm to the trans community,” continued Lima. “We’re also here to send a clear message to Cranston and all of Rhode Island: Affirm our trans neighbors, families and friends. “We are here to support trans people – adults and children,” said event moderator Damián Lima. In counterpoint to the hate inside the library, the Edgewood Congregational Church across the street from the library opened their doors to people at the rally who needed to use a bathroom since the library locked people out. There were no incidents: Those outside protesting the hate group were entirely peaceful. Thirteen Cranston Police Officers were on hand. It was reported that about 25 people attended the hate group meeting. The library also closed its doors to all other patrons for the evening, allowing only the hate group attendees and a smattering of complicit media inside the room. The Cranston library offered a tepid statement explaining their decision to allow the hate group to use their meeting space, but it’s hard to imagine the library would host a group like the Proud Boys or the KKK. Elston has called the transgender community a cult. Inside the library, an anti-trans hate group was hosting Chris Elston, who has participated in protests outside schools that affirm transgender youth and children’s hospitals that offer gender affirming health care. The protest was organized by a variety of groups, including TGI Network, LGBTQ Action RI, Youth Pride Inc, Sage, Womxn Project, Haus of Codec, and the Democratic Women’s Caucus. Around 250 members of the transgender community, alongside allies, families and neighbors, gathered to show love and support for the transgender community at the William H Hall Branch of the Cranston Public Library Monday evening.
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