In a shocking move, a Michigan township just voted overwhelmingly to defund its local library following a kerfuffle over an oft-challenged LGBTQ book that was available there. Angry that the book remained on the shelves, members of the community decided to cut off funding to the library.
While many are taking a victory lap, some locals are now having buyer’s… err, voter’s remorse.
Banning Books for Jesus
Jamestown Township, a small community of about 8,000 residents southwest of Grand Rapids, is the latest front in the war on queer books in public libraries.
The battle between Jamestown Township parents and the Patmos Library board apparently started earlier this year, when a concerned parent raised their objections over a graphic novel aimed at young adults that depicts same-sex relationships and has gay themes. The book, Gender Queer: A Memoir, by Maia Kobabe, was noted as the most challenged book of 2021 by the American Library Association.
Despite the book in question being in the adult section in the library – and later moved behind a counter – community outrage kept building. When the library board refused to remove the book entirely, things began to spiral out of control. Library board meetings, which once drew only a handful of citizens, suddenly had upwards of 50 residents in attendance.
The library board wouldn’t budge on removing Gender Queer and other books with gay themes, arguing that the library should serve everyone. Spurned by the board, a local group called the Jamestown Conservatives took things into their own hands.
Bye Bye Budget
On Facebook, the group says its purpose is to “help others of the community to be aware of the pushed agenda of explicit sexual content that is being infiltrated into our local libraries aiming toward our children.”
They say they “stand to keep our children safe, and protect their purity, as well as to keep the nuclear family intact as God designed.”
The group organized a campaign against the library, pushing local residents to reject the library’s millage on the upcoming ballot (the millage funds the library via property taxes).
Flyers were distributed all over town, and yard signs sprouted up – often with controversial or even outrageous accusations.
The plan worked. Despite generally being noncontroversial, the millage failed by some 25 points.
With this fateful decision, the town essentially voted to close their only library. Most of the library’s funds are now unexpectedly gone, and library officials estimate they can only make it through the first quarter of 2023.
“There will be a definitive point in time that the library will be potentially closed down due to this,” says Patmos Library board of trustees chair Larry Walton.
Even one of the campaign organizers implied she didn’t think the library would actually shutter its doors, saying the vote was intended as a “wake-up call” to bend to the community instead.
The fate of the community’s only library is now very much in doubt. They can try and get another millage motion on the ballot in November, but that is just a few short months away, and could potentially fail again, as it’s clear the board refuses to remove LGBTQ books entirely.
As the fight over what books belong on library shelves continues to spread across the country, many are worrying about the future of public libraries.
What do you think? Is it right for a community to hold their local library hostage over materials they find objectionable? What does this mean for public libraries moving forward?
94 comments
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Maybe the 'children' could start their own protest, demanding an uncensored education. Maybe these same concerned parents should learn to respect freedom of speech. Maybe the community council need to inform the Jamestown Conservatives that special interest groups have no legal authority to make up their own discriminatory rules.
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In this sick and twisted society that we have created for our children I doubt that this type of reading material is going to make a difference in the lives of children who are surrounded by every deviated form of sex that can be possibly be promoted. Also how often do today’s young children actually visit a library? I work as a security officer in Rhode Island’s community libraries and I can state emphatically that most children’s librarians concentrate on reading children children's books and arts and crafts. Those idiots in Michigan simply cut their noses to spite their faces in essence they are morons.
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I have read a news report today that generous donations are coming in to Patmos Library from all over the nation to help keep their doors open for everyone. Might the works of good folk confound and perhaps overcome the work of the haters?
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Lets shut them down...Anything that promotes the evils of Homosexuality should be destroyed.
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@Daniel Ginther, homosexuality isn't evil, if by that you mean the sexual orientation. People aren't evil. It is a medical condition, like gender dysphoria or intersex. I will agree with you that homosexual acts are prohibited in the Bible because they do not fulfil the purpose of human sexuality. I think language matters!
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Lets start a Go fund me for this Library???
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If the people want to protect the chidden from LGBTQ material in their library they might want to start by banning access to the Internet for everyone. Sad the people of this town doesn't care about the people in their community. With 1 out of every 200 people being LGBTQ there have to be many citizens in their town who are LGBTQ. Instead of the town teaching exclusion, maybe they should learn how to get along.
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On that point we all agree! The internet should be censored by parents for their children.
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Only problem is there's no way for parents to censor the Internet for their chidden. They can try, but the kids know how to circumvent the parental controls.
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Not if the kids only have user rights on the computer. The parents could set the DNS to one of several that do the filtering, and without admin rights, the kids cannot change that. As an IT Professional with a couple of decades of experience, I've been called upon to do this for quite a few church members with children.
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Do you really think that would stop them when they would have friends who don't have it along with coffee shops and libraries that now have computer use? Seriously, kids are a lot smarter than people seem to give them credit.
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@Ronaldo Sounds like you are helping the kids and fooling the parents. If you have been in IT for decades you would know filtering doesn't work. And kids know if they don't have admin rights they can use a proxy, relay, VDI or RD. Or even easier is would be to use a DNS proxy. Kids might not know what they are doing, but they can sure out fox their parents.
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History has a way of repeating itself. More and more we are looking like 1930's Germany. For years there have been book burners but they hid in the shadows, Trumps election brought them out into the sunlight.
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You mean they crawled out from under their rocks. I remember the civil rights movement in the 60s. Followed by a change where racists were encouraged to shut the f*** up. I’ve always maintained that the religiously delusional portion of the population should be given the same encouragement.
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Another Moron bringing Trump into the discussion....Oh look, your from Canada, now I understand, another Canadian with no brain cells.
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@Daniel Ginther, why do you have to offend? This is supposed to be a discussion. Everyone has a right to an opinion. It's called democracy!
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I think its Trudeau's fault ehhh
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Maybe the person that wrote the sign about defunding the library should rethink that. He could stand to read and learn some more. I don't know what a millage is or why they'd tax it, or even why he would print a sign about it. Stop Illiteracy! should also be on a sign.
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You apparently failed to read the article completely. I, too, often skim these articles as the theme ‘Religiously delusional individuals doing stupid stuff’ is repetitive and predictable. However, if you will read just above thebpivture a bit you will find the following…
“ The group organized a campaign against the library, pushing local residents to reject the library’s millage on the upcoming ballot (the millage funds the library via property taxes).”
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Yes, but who was the group encouraging people to vote to stop funding the library? It doesn't take much to see that was a right leaning religious group. The idea of removing information generally is.
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I don’t disagree that those behind this incredibly stupid idea were religiously delusion conservatives. Of COURSE they are.
My point was that Mr. Riggle didn’t read the entire article. Because when you DON’T do that you end up looking as stupid as the right leaning inbreds.
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Nazis burned books. This is a dangerous path to the dark ages.
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SHAME on the hypocritical ChristoFascists, who refuse to allow any human being to be or believe anything without their permission. As a librarian (MILS degree from U of Michigan), I am aghast. We are in the middle of a very dangerous slide in our country, one of further oppression and going backwards, one of bigotry and cruelty. Those of us who are RATIONAL MUST counter this insanity. We must fight against this disgusting, bullying behavior. What would Jesus do? He would tell us that He commanded us to LOVE, not Who or How to Love.
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These christofascists are people who see everyone but themselves as being imperfect. It is their god given right and duty to stop anyone not living to how they command and conform to their ideals, although they do not usually conform to the same ideals themselves. Protecting kids from certain books? I bet these kids are exposed to the explicit ads on TV, the LGBTQ characters in children's cartoons, books, programs, movies and of course social media. How many billboards are sexually suggestive sometimes even explicit,, expressing both hetero and gay poses hmm? Maybe we should ban the christo fascist's kids from attending our libraries, social media, cartoons, books etc etc?? Would that keep the morons happy I wonder? I have my doubts.
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'krass': WRONG! Jesus DID tell us 'How and Who to Love' , contrary to your erroneous blather.
Representative of numerous other Scriptures, in Mark 12:30 Jesus clearly details just how and whom to love.
To preclude further revelation of your academic deficiencies, you'd do well to do your homework.
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@flugo It's unfair to quote one scripture to support your point when there are many more which do not. Before quoting scripture read all of it so you understand what is being said.
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You might also learn to do your homework, flugo. No one knows for sure what the said Jesus ever really did say, assuming that is, he was real 🤔. All we have are stories and tales written by people who never met him years, and sometimes decades, after his death. I wonder how much of what people wrote about him, and what he is supposed to have actually said, is really true 🤔
So....unfortunately for you, flugo, the person that is talking erroneous blather is of course yourself, but not to worry, we are used to it from you anyway. You are just full of derogatory remarks, because it seems that's all you know what to do, but...hey...you're an indoctrinated, and uneducated, Christian of some sort, so what can we expect? 🤷🏼
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Do your homework and read more. There are many perspectives. Don't go just by a manmade book proven inaccurate in many places. They do not even know for sure who really wrote what texts. Does the history and culture section of the library scare you too? ,
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history and culture are just more man made books full of errors. Where do we go to get accurate information that is not man made?
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While it may be true that the farther you go back, the harder it is to find evidence that backs up theories. But experts in those fields of science are educated and trained to look for evidence where they can find it. Much is discovered that backs up claims or makes new discoveries. Much is also verified that proves how much supposed history in books is wrong. Research the Vatican. That was one of the most corrupt organizations ever active on this planet. To this day no one knows how much money that they have. And those secret vaults they guard hide God only knows what that will never see the light of day because that would prove that the whole basis of their church has been full of lies. That is why education is so important. You have to open your mind and read many perspectives. You keep what you want and leave the rest. Truth is somewhere in the middle of all that. There is nothing to fear from books. A book can't force you to think one way or another. It is just a source for thought and an opportunity to ask questions that lead to new discoveries. History should teach us what not to repeat but some people learn slower than others it seems. Humans in general have been slow learners but some of us try to get a little closer to what our race should be capable of reaching. That is why libraries should be able display all material from both sides of this issue. Maybe that one book was too much for young children but it was put in an adult section for that reason. That is more consideration than most children get at home. How many parents keep stashes of "magazines" and other materials in their home? Do you really believe the kids do not know where the parents hide that stuff? They have that right as grown adults to do what they want in the privacy of their own home. But between that kind of material, the internet and phones, the kids will get an education on their own whether you like it or not. The best you can do is try to guide them to healthy choices.
So there is evidence to prove how much is wrong in what we were told. The media has many historical venues as well.
Some people need to stop trying to twist an edited bible to suit themselves and look at all that is out there to form an open mind of their own.
Some available material won't pass scrutiny but that is fine. I personally put the bible in that category. I once started reading a book written by a woman claiming to speak to Jesus and I do not mean in prayer. I figured I would see what she had to say. I put the book away after a few chapters. She claimed to have lunch with him at different places in her travels. I can admit that Jesus can have lunch with whoever he pleases but if you want me to believe you, give me some facts that could be checked or validated to prove he had lunch with you.-
Problem is, their facts don't line up when put under a microscope. Nobody has yet 100 percent proven anything!
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@Lori-Ann Neeb, the Vatican is not an organization. It's a country. And as a country, their national bank (called IOR) is bound to secrecy.
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Maybe you should take another look. There ae a few verses before and after that clarifies. To love your neighbor as yourself is the very next verse. Love, not hate. Love involves caring, understanding, supporting and teaching. It doesn't include conditions, fear, rejection and violence, ever. It certainly doesn't mean enforce your beliefs and rules on everyone else. Live your religion. Don't learn if your really don't want to. Nowhere in these laws did it ever force people to do these things, just to be able to choose them for themselves. Don't block others from learning and living their own beliefs and lives.
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New Living Translation And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’
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YEP the MIND is A TERRIBLE THING !!!
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Jesus commanded that you love your parents, spouse and children so what exactly are you trying to say???
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Amazing how Homosexuals vigorously sling the Love destroys Hate message as their biblical theme from the bible when on the other hand they hate God for warning them that Homosexuality is dangerous for many reasons, not just for your physical health as time has proven but it's the spiritual that's most important, look deep into the word of God and you'll find that Homosexuals are possessed by evil spirits...that's the last thing you want !
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We should accept all people regardless of their belief systems, as long as it does not infringe upon private personal living, particularly pertaining to what they feel they should do with "their" body parts. A library can provide fundamental knowledge on interaction and behavior protocols for all people, particularly to provide those unspoken rules for those interactions. Parents need to develop the courage and methods of educating their children on the truth of certain life issues before the knowledge is gained from unsafe "street"sources. A "village" can help raise a child if the child has the proper "basic training", which always starts at home.That is what knowledge is about, "All People, Places and Things". (smile)
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I am a Pastor and I wrote the book entitled, Love Makes a Family - Friends, Family, And Significant Others. It uplifts all kinds of relationships that create a family based on loving kindness and caring for each other. You can find it on Amazon. I will send a free copy to any library that wants one. If you would like to help, you can buy a copy and give it to your local library. All Blesssings and Peace Profound, Willi Vision
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Please show me where Jesus instructed this behavior ... I'll wait. Christians are the most hate filled people on Earth.
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@Matthew Mastrogiovanni, does that include Mother Teresa?
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There is an easy solution. young kids see sexual matters as just a part of life, there is a whole world of things to see and explore, they re to busy living . Puberty things change and now teenagers need information, not just lived experience, so books are most important. Through books they learn all aspects of life. Adults seem to enter a la la world (Evangelists) of their own imagination and importance. The solution is simple kids and teenager desperately need books for their education. when an adult registers for the library, make them state their religious and political beliefs then ban these people from certain sections of the library where they may find books that do not agree with them or their fantasy world
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I for ONE DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT AN LGBTQ BOOK is AND WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE to KNOW, W T F is THE PROBLEM with AN OPEN MIND ???
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Although I fully agree with your sentiments I WOULD LIKE to KNOW HOW you DECIDED WORDS to WRITE in ALL CAPS. 😉
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Superstition is, always has been, and forever will be the foe of progress, the enemy of education, and the assassin of freedom. ~ Robert Green Ingersol
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No. They are bigots and bible thumpers that subvert the "Christian" title to its lowest levels. It is the children who will suffer the most from the brain washing. The biggest surprise is bigots aren't known for their educational priorities so who knew any of you even knew where the library was located.
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Libraries are for EVERYONE, not just religious zealots. They are going to lose their town's ONLY library because their HATE has blinded them.
Libraries are VITAL places in communities. While many believe they are unnecessary, they promote literacy and are community centers for people to meet safely. They are safe places for kids to go and decompress and for people to enjoy books. They are also vital educational tools, as well as vital tools for people wanting to put in applications for jobs, no not everyone has internet at home people.
They are, quite literally, KILLING a part of the very heart of their town. All because they are SO filled with hatred that they'd rather shoot themselves in the foot than acknowledge that ALL humans, no matter who they love, are equals.
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If you don't like certain books, don't read them. Don't try to stop everyone from reading them. Now where will the homeless people go to the bathroom?
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Lesson learned hopefully! Children should be reading about ABC's, not changing their gender.
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"....changing their gender"....did you read books about that in the library?? Think before you speak next time.
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ABC's are for kindergartners. After that it's about exploring their world and themselves. Parents can guide their own children's exploration, but have no right to censor others.
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That is exactly what these great parents are doing. They are guiding their children!!!
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Yes they are, by taking away from others. So if their kids can't have it, no one can? Those parents are now parenting other peoples kids as well. It's not their job!
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no , they are being great parents for their children!!!
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No, they really are not. They are trying to force everyone into their own belief system. The library doesn't belong to them alone. It belongs to everyone. It's supposed to cater to everyone. That's going to sometimes mean information some parents are uncomfortable with talking about or flat out afraid of. You cannot learn and grow though if you block out huge parts of life. You cannot force people to conform and expect them to still function in a world that has a huge variety of different things that narrow minded people shun as evil. They will eventually be out there learning about it. It comes down to learning safely, through books, with responsible people guiding them, or through some back ally, know nothing who could and likely would harm them in their naivete. Which would you prefer?
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who is stopping you from starting your own library???
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Oh but if they read Harry Potter or some other fantasy that features polymorphism. Books on changing gender doesn’t groom them to be trans. You don’t care if children are baptized and indoctrinated into the church, and do you let kids read Song of Solomon? The Bible is far more horrific and violent, but you’re worried if little Timmy or Sally accepts people who are different. Your bigotry is showing.
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You are proof some people have learned nothing. What's next burning people you don't like at the stake? Your town is now about two hairs above cult status. How do you think psycho cult leaders brain wash their victims - through segregation and control of their environments. Is becoming the next David Koresh or Jim Jones what you really want? Maybe it is. As to the bible - there are some seriously sexually messed up people in the old testament. They commit incest such as daughters sleeping with their father. Wives sending in servants to sleep with their husbands, etc. Or is that kind of stuff ok as long as those in charge reap the benefits and favors?
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LOL!!! Thanks for todays much needed laugh!
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If all you can think to do is try to deflect and avoid answering questions, don't bother replying. All you do is advertise your lack of ability to understand adult concepts.
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All we heard was a bunch of hateful , unintelligible diatribes. Please try again civilly this time!
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Ahh, yes, I remember my classes where we would learn about the ABCs. The discussions were incredibly interesting. Learning the reasoning of why ‘A’ came first had us all on the edges of our seats. Many of us objected to whoever placed M and N together and placing the L before those two and the O and P afterwards made for that horrible, most unenjoyable portion of the song! And now, what with the library being closed, those halcyon hours of alphabetic arguments will be all but removed from the first grade curriculum in schools.
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I am judging that you had a great education and that didn't include the messed up woke indoctrination that our public ed. is poisoning children with currently. How about learning solar energy instead of gender transitioning for instance!
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Why not both? Sex Ed/Life Studies can be an inclusive topic on that. Granted Life Studies can teach children the importance of consent and bodily autonomy. The rest can be taught later. Like 7th or 8th grade. Teaching people to be accepting of people who are different isn’t woke, but basic good manners. Good gods you right wing hill billies politicize everything. Though every time a right winger hears about solar they spit on the concept. Was it woke of my grade teacher to teach us about George Washington Carver and how he got accepted to Highland Community College, but was then turned away due to him being black? No. That’s just history. Y’all are so caught up in the emotions of fear anger and pride you can’t think right. Good Gods help us all.
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Learning ABOUT….
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I do not think a public library needs to have sexually explicit books of any persuasion in the stacks. Behind the counter is fine and like the movie rating system, books with adult themes should be marked as adult themed. I find the sexualization of our children to be a horrific offense against them. The adult themes before forced on them at young ages is causing a mental health crisis. I see it every day with children that are confused, scared, uncertain and even angry. They want to please adults but also need to be true to themselves. Yet adults keep pushing adult themes on children in an effort to supposedly save the children.
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Tell me, how is having LGBTQ+ books "Sexualizing kids" Hm? How is a book that says "My two dads", which is an ACTUAL children's book, "sexualizing kids" or "pushing adult themes on kids?" Libraries are VITAL parts of a community, and yet hate toward others just for whom they love, and the lives they lead, is apparently MORE important than embracing our fellow humans, it seems.
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The funny thing is they are not sexually explicit. The books in question are written in the point of view of the physiology and psychology, not the actual acts themselves. People really need to take the time to look at these things themselves honestly before flying off the handle and banning anything. We learn far more about others through these things. We cannot understand or help and support in the way we need to without that understanding. For most people if they don't start around the preteen years or sooner then much of what they focus on is what they want for themselves and screw what anyone else needs or wants.
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Better to have some form of integrity. Most libraries are not needed in this day-in-age. Get rid of the garbage, open when it can.
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Untrue. Libraries are NOT Garbage, and LGBTQ books are not garbage either. The books are vital to people understanding that LGBTQ individuals are just as human, and as vital to this world, as CIS individuals. And Libraries are vital centers of communities for a huge list of reasons.
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You couldn't be more wrong. I take it you don't spend much time in one.
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Maybe if you had gone to the library you wouldn’t have thought ‘this day-in-age’ was correct.
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Virginia is looking at banning some material on the basis of being obscene. If it is successful, this will mean that no one can sell, lend, or give the books to anyone.
So I bought one of the books to check it out.
Gender Queer: A Memoir Book by Maia Kobabe I will say that I did find it uncomfortably intimate in places. I'm 62 and had a poor upbringing when it comes to intimate things. However, the book is excellent and I can definitely recommend it to anyone who is gender queer or asexual.
The decision should be handed down by the end of August and I think it will go through. So if you live in Virginia and are interested, you might get it sooner rather than later.
I have talked to our librarian (not about this book) and she is careful what is openly available and on display in the library.
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Christians lost this battle. Atheists, Muslims. and just plain good people denoted more than enough money to fund the library and keep the library open and stocked with books for people with open minds to read.
BEWARE OF the "MOMS FOR LIBARIES" campaign. This is a political group pretending to be a bunch of concerned moms who's mission is to infiltrate public libraries and public school libraries with “liberty-minded books." What are Liberty-minded books? It's code for white supremacist racist books with Christian messages and bible versus. Their goal is to make fuss over LGBT+ books while covertly getting Christian books into public schools.
WARNING "MOMS FOR LIBARIES" is highly political, well funded and has no regard for our legal system or the constitution. Highly reminiscent of the that other political group that had a public book burning nearly 90 years ago.
https://bookriot.com/moms-for-libraries/
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Remember Dragnet? 🎼 Dum, Da-Dum-Dum.
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WWACD? - What Would Andrew Carnegie Do? Right now it's easy for these people to close public libraries. Later they will cut off access to public schools. Inevitably only the rich will be able to obtain an education.
The U.S. may continue as a country but will not be any sort of shining beacon - with or without libraries.
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Harkening back to the days of Jim Crowe south when narratives, novels, and poetry about blacks or written by blacks were banned. Yet, these same communities and Christian leaders who disguise their bigotry and prejudice behind the veil of religion and righteousness conveniently ignore that their coveted 1611 KJV Bible was commissioned by the unapologetically gay King James. How's that for irony and cherry picking morality? Sigh
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@Angela L Reichelderfer, how do you know King James was gay?
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It’s well known that King Charles was gay. Mainly from the many letters he wrote. One in particular to Buckingham (George Villiers) calling him “my sweet child and wife”.
You can read just one reference of many here, George.
https://www.bibliovault.org/BV.book.epl?ISBN=9781587294891
🦁❤️
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What these idiots simply accomplished was to cut their nose to spite their face.
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I recall in high school when they restricted some books. What did we do....searched the book store or library, and read those books. We can only hope those kids will do the same. These right wing radical nuts that were given free reign when Trump arrive on scene as our idiot president. He has unleashed a kind of crazy that needs to be voted out. People should have access to books, if parents don't like them then they need to oversee their children much better, from books to the internet to their friends.
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How can they do the same when the public library is shut down... as in this article?
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Why are we acting as though the library shutting down was an unintended consequence? You remove the funding for something and it will shut down.
The fundamentalists that orchestrated this shutdown had to plan this from the beginning. This was their actual goal. The less access people have to knowledge the less they are able to develop their minds. The result is that the young people in this area will be more vulnerable to fundamentalist propaganda.
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That's what I'm talking about, close them down !
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Burning books again. Maybe to set it right take any book that has a Christian theme in it out of the library.
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testing
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Can you say hial Hitler you bunch of natzis
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Should read heil. Then nazis.
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Name calling again. Isn't this supposed to be a 'diverse' church?
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What happened to our Christian morals . Why are people More worried about the what ever you call them it all the same meaning Lq so on they now have more open rights then Christian's do. So when you throw a rock at the pond a rippel effect happens But when they cry about the why we can't do the same thing all hell break loose. God is love yes but don't likes the sin anyone has. A bank robber robs and kills some one yes wrong God loves him but the sin no so repent .
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This is the sign of the times and no Christians think no well be okay turn away from this sin this is you chance to come to God . Repent.
Public libraries are for everyone that want to use and visit regardless religion and beliefs. Libeart for everyone. Parents of children under 18 are responsible to educate and guide and restrict under aged children from any sexually oriented materials.
You are right, PUBLIC libraries ARE for the PUBLIC meaning EVERYONE. Not sure why parents need to restrct their kids in the library about sex when kids have access to the Internet which has more sexually oriented material than any library.
You are right! Any and ALL libraries should be for EVERYONE. Parents are responsible for allowing or not allowing their children to read things that they deem appropriate or inappropriate.