A library clerk in Crawford County, Missouri, was additionally fired for a e-book show this Satisfaction month. Rachel Rodman put collectively a show of LGBTQ+ books, which is one thing she’d finished for different cultural and heritage celebrations all through her 12 months within the Bourbon Department library. A mere six days after the show went up–the show was positioned close to one other show about rising censorship in America’s libraries–she was fired for it.
The place Rodman ought to have been praised for sticking to her beliefs in creating the show and never succumbing to strain to take away it, as a substitute, she was fired for “insubordination.”
Drag Required Police Presence
Drag Story Hour is a enjoyable, pro-literacy occasion held at public libraries (and different family-friendly venues) nationwide. Whereas it has seen loads of controversy in recent times, conveniently timed with the rise of censorship and assaults on public establishments like libraries, it stays a enjoyable occasion meant to captivate audiences with enjoyable, humor, and a love of literature. Considered one of its objectives is to assist encourage self-expression and self-confidence from the youngest to the oldest attendees.
This 12 months was no totally different when it got here to complaints, although in contrast to current years, there have been far fewer complaints and much fewer situations of stochastic terrorism towards these occasions. That’s not as a result of antagonists have given up. It’s as a result of there have been far fewer Drag Story Hour and comparable occasions provided at public libraries throughout the nation.
The place there have been such occasions, they weren’t with out elevated safety and strain from far proper instigators. The place nobody is pressured to attend a public library occasion, these teams and people have continued to take it upon themselves to be the cultural police for a whole group. And it wasn’t essentially within the states nor communities the place such occasions have beforehand drawn ire. It occurred in locations which have been focused much less, which is a reminder of the place and the way the power and efforts of complainers has needed to shift. They need to go additional and additional out to problem occasions as a result of there are merely fewer occasions.
Chicago Public Library noticed not one, however two, makes an attempt to choke out their drag queen story hour applications. One occurred within the Edgewater neighborhood, the place police needed to monitor the scenario; one arrest was made after a protester pushed a person in assist of the occasion. The occasion within the Beverly neighborhood additionally noticed protesters.
In California, two separate drag story occasions had been shrouded in complaints and fears of protests. For Rohnert Park-Cotati Regional Library, north of San Francisco, the troubles had been allayed when no protestors confirmed as much as the occasion. Rumors had been circulating on-line about what may occur, and the library ready itself by bringing in further workers and in search of supporters to assist information attendees contained in the constructing safely.
The Monterey Public Library and Monterey Peninsula Satisfaction cohosted a drag storytime in an area park, which shortly noticed complaints rise from the Monterey County Republican Get together. Although their opposition was loud and parroted the identical drained, misinformed speaking factors shared by the suitable elsewhere, the occasion itself bought out and noticed a joyful crowd. One thing of notice on this story is what the Monterey Public Library’s director stated when requested in regards to the controversy and complaints: “”Our LGBTQ group are taxpayers as properly, and all group members should have their taxpayer funds represented in applications that mirror them right here in our group.”
Different complaints about drag story occasions occurred in Brooklyn Public Library, the place one library employee reported that “the State Assembly Member who gave us programming funding wanted us to remove his funding credit from the flyer due to constituent complaints.” In Lafayette Public Library (CO), one patron claimed she single-handedly canceled the library’s Drag Queen Story Time. She didn’t–however she actually was capable of unfold loads of misinformation.
Satisfaction Programming Exterior Drag Story Hours
LGBTQ+ constructive programming isn’t restricted to Drag Story Hours, in fact, and loads of complaints unfold nationwide associated to Satisfaction applications in libraries this 12 months. Complaints put sufficient strain on some establishments to cancel their occasions all collectively, permitting the small, loud voices to overshadow needed, inclusive applications to the entire of a group.
Tangi Library in Louisiana noticed their creator occasion with common queer romance creator Casey McQuiston canceled. The cancellation, which was overturned following pushback for the choice, got here as a consequence of “subject matter.” Such on once more, off once more occasions create confusion for patrons, particularly because it was clear these complaints had been possible not even coming from the group itself however from elsewhere throughout the nation.
In New Hampshire, the Rye Public Library made plans to host an “Allyship 101” occasion within the days main as much as Satisfaction month. However following complaints from the native Republican City Committee, the library board elected to “postpone” the occasion. Of notice is that this occasion wasn’t being placed on by the library itself, however moderately, it was being supported by the library and was being run by an area nonprofit whose work is to serve LGBTQ+ youth. This is a crucial notice, because the library board then determined in a cowardly transfer that the occasion may go on, the library would supply a room for it, however there could be no endorsement from the library itself. As of writing, no new date has been introduced both by the Rye Public Library nor the nonprofit operating it.
A department of the Monmouth County Public Library in New Jersey noticed one among their Satisfaction occasions canceled. The Satisfaction Pin occasion, which might enable teenagers to create pins associated to Satisfaction, was promoted on social media and shortly noticed nasty feedback pile on. This obtained the eye of the county, resulting in the occasion’s cancellation. The identical county noticed e-book suggestions made for Satisfaction obtain on-line scrutiny, resulting in the posts to be pulled down as properly.
Though the occasion was capable of proceed, a New York Metropolis elementary faculty librarian reported being informed that they’re being required to vary the title of a long-running program they’ve held that brings LGBTQ+ books into the college, with an creator go to supported by Lambda Literary. What was as soon as LGBTQ+ Writers in Faculties acquired some pushback this 12 months on account of rumors in regards to the content material of the age-appropriate books now faces the fact of a reputation change. The librarian might want to name future iterations of this system an “author visit,” placing them within the place of not solely erasing the facility that such id holds for the creator and attendees however then additionally being put able to deal with the blowback from it. That is one more instance of the place and the way Satisfaction is being blatantly erased.
Ire Over and Erasure of Guide Shows, Satisfaction Flags
That erasure of Satisfaction was maybe most noticeably seen and felt inside libraries throughout the US, the place each inside and exterior strain led to erasure and/or removing of LGBTQ+ e-book shows and flags. As famous above, not less than two library staff had been fired for making area in library shows for queer books this season, however numerous others had been both informed from the beginning they may not create such shows, had been knowledgeable that the shows wanted to be eliminated and so they complied, or–maybe mostly, if least documented–library staff merely complied prematurely and selected quiet/silent censorship in not creating such shows in any respect.
Show complaints weren’t restricted to public libraries, both. Not less than two situations of Satisfaction e-book show erasure and/or removing occurred in tutorial libraries, the place practically each consumer is a authorized grownup. Northwest Nazarene College, a personal faculty in Idaho, was focused on social media by State Senator Brian Lenney for having such a show. The establishment caved to the strain and eliminated it.
Experiences on e-book show censorship from Ohio had been the most typical in response to a name for tales about Satisfaction assaults in libraries this 12 months. This isn’t a shock, given the availability within the state’s funds invoice that will have banned such titles from being within the sightlines of minors in public libraries. Regardless of not being a shock, it’s nonetheless censorship, and it was perpetrated by those that know higher. One library employee from the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library shared that they had been requested by their administration “not to have Pride displays in kids or teen areas, because we’re facing budget cuts and they don’t want to divide or “distract” our supporters.” It was okay to have a Satisfaction show, however it couldn’t be in or close to areas the place younger individuals could also be. “This feels like complying in advance/sacrificing queer youth for money,” they wrote, including that “the slope feels slippery.”
The identical directives landed in suburban Columbus. “My library director told the Youth department not to do Pride displays this year. (I’ve worked there for six years and we’ve always had these displays.) When our department pushed back a little, the director said we can’t do ANY displays related to “heritage,” which apparently means Juneteenth, Girls’s Historical past, and many others.” They added that different libraries within the space weren’t solely persevering with to do their Satisfaction shows as regular, however that these libraries had been pairing it with motion. “They are encouraging their patrons to call representatives to fight this legislation. It’s upsetting and confusing to the staff why our director is buckling under so quickly.”
In Villa Park, Illinois, a suburban Chicago library, 23 individuals signed a petition complaining about e-book shows. Solely eight of the signers who delivered the petition to the board had been village residents. “Language was essentially the same as in the “Hide the Pride” template, dropping out a paragraph stating that the signers could be trying out books from the shows and holding them till the shows had been eliminated — maybe as a result of there have been solely days till the shows could be rotated out for July shows,” wrote one library employee.
Tonasket Public Library in Washington grew to become a goal on the metropolis council assembly over their show of a Satisfaction flag, whereas a pastor stoked outrage over a Satisfaction e-book show on the Waupun Public Library in Wisconsin. A lot for love thy neighbor. North Kawartha Public Library (Aspley, Ontario) noticed rainbow coloured posts exterior the power vandalized as properly.
Already, the groundwork is being laid to see even additional erasure of LGBTQ+ individuals and Satisfaction in libraries. Fresno, California, for instance, is weighing measures that will dictate what library staff can or can’t do on the clock associated to such cultural celebrations. The county supervisor main the cost is Garry Bredefeld, who needs to ban Fresno County Libraries from creating e-book shows and posters in assist of LGBTQ+ group members and their tales. “It’s my hope that this board will not have it (Pride) on the list, and that these libraries cannot be a place where we’re promoting an agenda, because I think it is an agenda. It’s a political agenda,” he stated throughout a June board assembly. California has a number of anti-book ban payments, which have created boundaries for Fresno County Supervisors’ prior and ongoing agenda to ban such supplies from the library.
What Occurred to “Hide the Pride?”
One of the infamous anti-Satisfaction campaigns in libraries was Catholic Vote’s “Hide the Pride.” It started in 2022, with repeat efforts in 2023 and 2024. “Hide the Pride” inspired visiting native public libraries, in search of out LGBTQ+ e-book shows and titles, and borrowing them with no intent to return them to the library. Catholic Vote would have a good time the efforts of these partaking, sharing photographs and numbers about how profitable the marketing campaign was. The group launched a fundraising marketing campaign for “Hide the Pride” June of final 12 months, asking for assist of the initiative and noting that for each $5 donated, two books might be eliminated. It’s unclear how a lot cash, if any, was raised.
Zero tales within the media this 12 months referenced “Hide the Pride” in libraries, nor did any libraries report being focused by the efforts. Did it occur in any respect this 12 months? The reply seems to be no, and never as a result of the group determined to cease efforts to advertise their very own agenda.
Certainly, this 12 months it appears like Catholic Vote inspired what needs to be the response to occasions that a corporation doesn’t like: promotion of alternate celebrations for individuals who might want to partake with no reference to different ongoing celebrations. All through the nation, billboards selling “Sacred Heart of Jesus Month” popped up, and the group eagerly shared the celebration. It can come as little shock how a lot power was nonetheless devoted by followers to creating crude and wild statements associated to Satisfaction.
Is it possible “Hide the Pride” nonetheless occurred however below the radar? That the occasion was now not outwardly promoted in order that it may occur extra quietly? Sure. However given how quiet Satisfaction has been in libraries, the possibilities of figuring out the scope right here is decrease than within the earlier three years.
Issues for the Way forward for Satisfaction–Apart from Now Cowering
Two actually highly effective pro-Satisfaction, pro-LGBTQ+ tales popped up over the course of June which might be value together with to spherical out this take a look at how Satisfaction has been disappearing from libraries. The primary comes from Airdrie Public Library in Alberta, Canada, explaining the place and the way the library develops its e-book shows. They create greater than 100 a 12 months and but, there is just one show that appears to correlate with a rise in materials theft: the Satisfaction show.
“June is Satisfaction Month, and as an inclusive public area that fosters literacy, information, and cultural connections, APL celebrates this section of the Airdrie group as a lot as every other.
Nevertheless, in contrast to our different collections, our LGBTQ literature is usually vandalized, supplies hidden behind cabinets or in different areas, together with within the youngsters’s space, and checked out in giant numbers as a method to restrict entry.”
It’s an easy story with a potent message. Just one group of individuals appears to draw ire inside the group, and the library notices as a result of they spotlight the voices and tales of hundreds of varied individuals yearly of their shows.
Put this piece in your again pocket in preparation for subsequent June. Replicate it in your personal group paper and/or in your library’s personal social media. It shouldn’t really feel too dangerous, but when talking out of your private library’s perspective is, then share this story.
The second piece comes from Scott Gordon in Tone Madison. Gordon talks about how the Wisconsin Historic Society elected this 12 months to not put up a Satisfaction flag for the primary time since 2009:
“Any variation on “let’s not make this political” actually provides as much as: “I would like to limit the scope of which things in our society are politically contested, and I would like to limit the number and kinds of people who get to contest them.” This requires included and excluded constituencies. A public establishment locations itself, untenably, in each camps, when it tries to selectively de-politicize itself on one entrance and ignores its political entanglements on others.”
Each library employee, administrator, board member, and consumer ought to take every phrase in right here to coronary heart. There isn’t a neutrality in libraries. Neutrality is bullshit and neutrality is exactly why LGBTQ+ individuals and Satisfaction have grow to be such targets in public libraries. Libraries are political areas. They need to be. Libraries are political areas as a result of they serve individuals, and being an individual is political. They’re funded by taxpayers, and taxpayers embrace each political persuasion. If libraries don’t rise up for themselves and advocate their worth to all, then they’ll proceed to be overwhelmed down, destabilized, and defunded by political events whose clout grows with every library assault.
Selecting to disregard Satisfaction or selecting to bow right down to the loudest voices within the room is cowardice. Not solely is it cowardice, it’s a blaring indication to queer individuals–these in your communities and those that work in libraries themselves–that they don’t seem to be secure to make the most of the general public area that’s paid for and supported by their tax {dollars}. Throwing Satisfaction and LGBTQ+ below the bus additional disenfranchises a bunch seeing cruelty from the highest down legislatively, however extra, it provides them no incentive to step up and assist libraries within the midst of their very own ongoing social, cultural, and political disaster.
If libraries need to survive and if libraries are to serve their mission, erasing Satisfaction isn’t the best way.
“Academic and educational institutions have a duty to push beyond the “sheesh, politics amirite” default of American discourse,” writes Gordon. “We look to these institutions to give us knowledge and concepts that allow us to form our own complex and vital analyses of the world, rather than rely on the cheap ready-made narratives that politicians would have us settle for. They should support and encourage us in navigating a world that’s always going to be entangled in the political, rather than help us fool ourselves into thinking we can ever truly escape the political.”
Guide Censorship Information: July 11, 2025
In Florida, they’re doing essential work like banning the phrases “Gulf of Mexico” from faculty books and state legal guidelines.
Guide challenges in Kentucky rose 1000% in 2024. Sure, one thousand p.c.
Columbia County Libraries (GA) are contemplating withdrawing from their regional library system–choking entry to extra supplies for his or her customers–and creating their very own e-book banning committee “tailored to the specific requirements of Columbia County.” In different phrases, they’re going to ban the whole lot they need after which not enable customers to get the supplies in different system libraries. That is paternalistic bullshit. Oh, they dissolved their board, too.
The previous Crawford County, Arkansas, library director is suing for defamation over coping with people attempting to ban LGBTQ+ books.
Right here’s a excellent news replace: Ohio’s governor has vetoed the portion of the funds invoice that will require libraries put LGBTQ+ out of eyesight of these below 18.
Anti-book ban advocates in New Hampshire confirmed up on the governor’s workplace demanding she veto the e-book ban laws proposed by state legislators when it hits her desk.
Texas State Consultant Daniel Alders is proposing one other anti-book ban invoice for a possible particular session of the state laws. These people can’t cease serious about youngsters’s genitals or sexuality in bizarre, NOT NORMAL methods.
How psychologists are pushing again in opposition to e-book censorship.
The place and the way the e-book bans in Alberta, Canada, are an act of cultural vandalism–there’s a heck of a phrase value incorporating on this battle over books.
Some potential excellent news in jail censorship: Wisconsin’s Division of Corrections is working with Wisconsin Books to Prisoners to make used e-book donations doable once more.
Dad and mom in Duval County Faculties (FL) are pushing again in opposition to the district’s DEI insurance policies that may solely serve to ban extra books and concepts.
This information story hyperlinks to RatedBooks, an unprofessional rankings website created by e-book banning bigots, as if it’s an authoritative useful resource on books in libraries. The hyperlink is there as a result of the story is about new tips to ban books from children in public colleges and libraries within the state.
A number of states are backing Iowa in its legislation that bans LGBTQ+ books–sorry, books with “sex acts”–from public colleges in an amicus transient to the Eight Circuit.
A take a look at the talk over faculty historical past textbooks in Mesa County Valley District 51 (Colorado). You already know why the board rejected the selection of the academics with out even clicking.
Put together to see a wave of e-book bans and restrictions hitting Fremont County Library System (WY) quickly.
In some excellent news out of North Carolina, the democratic governor has vetoed a lot of anti-DEI payments put forth by legislators. This might have impacted faculty curriculum and, in fact, helped support e-book banning.
Legislators within the UK are thrilled that one among their very own bigots eliminated trans books from the youngsters’s areas Kent Library. Certainly, loads of individuals are sad about this.
Within the Ken-Ton College District (NY), board members are contemplating an replace to their assortment insurance policies which might restrict the sorts of e-book challenges they’ll take. That is taking place as a result of one Mothers for Liberty stan challenged 27 books in Could–if the district determines that librarians have chosen books professionally, the challenges received’t maintain water.
Rhode Island formally has a freedom to learn/anti-book ban legislation.
Redlands Unified College District (CA) is one step nearer to passing a coverage in opposition to “obscene material” within the district, in addition to limiting flags that may be flown. This could get into the fingers of the state, on condition that they’ve an anti-book ban invoice coverage and this board hasn’t fought for this type of coverage so lengthy as a result of they actually assume there may be porn within the faculty library. Anti-book ban payments are solely pretty much as good as their enforcement.
Indicators proclaiming that “everyone is welcome here” are now not welcome in Idaho.
In Johnston County Faculties (NC), Satisfaction flags at the moment are banned and the board is debating eradicating any anti-discrimination language of their insurance policies.
Beaufort County College District (SC), which has handled e-book bans for years, had 15 new challenges come up this month. Right here’s the place this will get particularly dangerous: if the board passes on these challenges, they’ll be heard by the South Carolina Division of Training, the place these titles may then be banned in public colleges statewide. Recall SC leads the nation in state-sanctioned e-book bans.
Podpisnye Izdaniya in St. Peterburg, Russia, has been charged as soon as once more with selling “LGBT Propaganda.” This sort of focused assault on literature and on queer individuals is the dream of the American proper.
Sumner County Libraries (TN) are one step nearer to placing the library board answerable for deciding on what supplies might be on library cabinets. You learn that proper.
