The St. Charles County Council will vote on a resolution that aims to hold the St. Charles County library board accountable for enforcing its dress code.
“Just like every corporation and company, St. Charles County has dress codes,” said Joe Brazil, a county councilman who represents District 2. “We're just suggesting that they enforce it.”
The Council is drawing up a resolution in response to a crowd of 350 people who attended a library board meeting last month to discuss the appropriateness of an employee’s wardrobe. Parents who gathered were met by LGBTQ counter-supporters.
If approved, the resolution will be considered a non-binding request.
"The county executive appoints five members to the library board then St. Charles City appoints four," Brazil said in an interview. "The county council approves those five members. Since we were the ones who appointed them, we are asking that the board enforce a dress code."
The controversy emerged after an unidentified worker with a goatee reportedly wore makeup and nail polish to his shift.
“Transgender, gay, whatever, nobody cares about that as far as I'm concerned,” Brazil told the St. Louis Record. “I can’t go to work in a library wearing a speedo and from what I understand, the fishnet stockings and short skirt, if it was on a female, they would've probably been sent home as well.”
Commentary at the meeting, which took place on June 20, both in support and against the worker’s wardrobe was fueled by Rachel Homolak’s complaint who said the attire was more fitting for a nightclub environment or strip joint, according to media reports.
“St. Charles County is supposed to be a pretty red county,” Brazil said. “I believe the left is attacking the red counties with a lot of this liberal woke nonsense. The people who are more conservative, more right, or more for American values are starting to wake up and notice it and fight back.”
Public commentary lasted three hours but library board president Staci Alvarez urged others who want to weigh in to send the board emails.
The divide among Missourians has widened between supporters of LGBTQ social issues and conservatives since Gov. Mike Parson signed Senate Bill (SB) 49 into law. It prohibits prescribing puberty-blocking pharmaceuticals to minors.
Also known as the SAFE Act, SB 49 bars Missouri's Medicaid program from providing payment for gender transition surgeries, cross-sex hormones, or puberty-blocking drugs for the purpose of gender transition.
"In most environments, you've got to wear business attire or casual attire or whatever the situation calls for," Brazil added. "You can't be dressed suggestively like that."