HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—A conservative city councilperson in Huntington Beach is coming under fire from local officials and parents for a slew of campaign signs that feature the word "porn" plastered in large letters.
Freshman Councilperson Chad Williams, a pro-Trump Republican, is the man behind the signs, according to LAist.
Williams' signs read "Protect Our Kids From Porn." They have drawn criticism, especially as parents and local education officials raise their concerns about the signs being placed near locations like schools. Reportedly, some parents even expressed their frustration that the signs prompted some minors to Google the term.
The signs are sponsored by Williams to campaign against local ballot Measures A and B. A part of a special election scheduled for June 10, Measures A and B will allow the voters of the city to weigh in on determining who controls the city's public libraries. Williams' signs are campaigning against the adoption of both measures.
Huntington Beach's public libraries have been controversial since staunch far-right conservatives took over the city and voted in late 2023 to establish a board of residents that reviews children's books. Critics have accused the board of using an ideologically driven criterion to define what is considered sexually inappropriate.
Measure A proponents say that the job of choosing and classifying books for appropriate library sections should be left to professional librarians. Measure B advocates for a law that prohibits the city council from privatizing and outsourcing library operations to private management companies.
For Councilperson Williams, he believes that both measures should be defeated to "protect" minors from content that he views as pornographic. "Pornography," according to this definition, includes material dealing with LGBTQ+ subject material and age-appropriate comprehensive sexual education.
This is a common talking point among social conservatives and was central to Project 2025.
Project 2025, an initiative backed by the conservative Heritage Foundation, calls for the ban of "pornography" and for it to have its First Amendment rights revoked. It also conflates legal and consensual adult content production with material written for teenagers, like young adult literature.
Gina Clayton-Tarvin, a board trustee for the Ocean View School District, told CBS affiliate KCAL News, "I have fielded no less than 200 calls and texts and messages from outraged parents."
"Those parents need to know what is in there, and they can explain to their kids what it is without getting graphic or detailed," said Williams, defending his campaign.
Critics of efforts to ban books or significantly restrict access to certain books classify individuals like Williams and their attempts to limit access as violating the First Amendment. NBC 4 Los Angeles reported on Monday that several signs have been vandalized, with unknown assailants cutting out the word "porn."
