This screenshot, taken from the city of Enterprise’s Zoom feed during the city council’s meeting Nov. 13, 2023, shows the crowd gathered to comment on a controversial pamphlet placed at the city’s library.

ENTERPRISE — A controversial sex-education pamphlet with an LGBTQ+ slant will remain available at the Enterprise Public Library until the Enterprise City Council’s Library Committee decides what it wants to do with it, the council agreed Monday, Nov. 13.

The issue garnered a gathering at a council meeting unlike any in recent memory. About 100 people crowded into the council chambers in city hall, with another 50 attending via Zoom and 11 letters that were submitted to be read.

Representatives of Christ Covenant Church in Lostine had objected to the pamphlet’s placement in the library.

But most of those present at the meeting were in favor of keeping the pamphlet available and carried the multicolored flags supporting LGBTQ+ people. Many equated banning the pamphlet to Nazi-style book burnings or “book bans.”

However, others spoke in favor of ensuring that such materials are located in places where parents can guide their children.

Caitlin Hostetter said she went into the library and noted that her young children were able to look at the pamphlets on a low table in the foyer. At the very least, she said, such materials should not be where small children can see them without guidance.

Methodist Rev. Beth Estock of Joseph said she supported leaving the pamphlets in place because she backs the separation of church and state.

One person said to leave the pamphlets in the library, but to place them where they can be carefully disseminated.

The sex-ed material is a 44-page pamphlet that had been available in the foyer of the library, until someone took all the copies there, the city’s administrator, Lacey McQuead said. She said she does not know who took them.

The pamphlet was produced by three Portland State University graduate students in the university’s Master of Social Work program. In the pamphlet, the students say they wanted to “provide accurate, unbiased, shame-free sex and gender information to LGBTQ+ youth.” The zine-style publication, titled “LGBTQ+ Sex Ed: Shame Freeeee,” includes information and resources intended to answer questions that LGBTQ+ youth may have about sexuality and gender identification.

A pastor who attended the council meeting read some of the pamphlet out loud and argued that many of the explicit sex acts described are not appropriate for children.

But one young man said having the materials available would have been useful to him during his youth.

“I’m queer,” he said. “I was a queer youth.”

Other speakers made the point that having the pamphlet available would be vital to LGBTQ+ youth, who often feel marginalized and can be vulnerable.

After all the public comment, Library Director Liz Cedarbrook presented some changes in library policies to the council for its approval.

The changes involved the library’s bulletin board information distribution policy and its materials selection and withdrawal policy. The council approved both.