A public county library in Virginia is at risk of shutting down after a group of far-right community members launched a campaign to defund it on accusations it held “pornographic books” though in fact the works usually just explore LGBTQ+ themes.
Samuels Library in Front Royal’s Warren county is set to close on 1 October as public funding has been withheld by the Warren county board of supervisors since July, cutting off crucial financial support.
America has been hit by a wave of rightwing protests at libraries and schools that usually target books and material that have LGBTQ+ characters, plots or stories. The move is part of a wider rightwing cultural backlash, especially in Republican-led US states.
“Clean Up Samuels Library,” the group advocating for the library to close, “demand the immediate removal, not relocation, of pornographic books from the children’s section of the library.
“We assert our rights as taxpayers and emphasize that pornography for children should not be funded by public resources. Individuals interested in such materials may acquire them using personal funds,” according to their website.
The books in question feature LGTBQ+ storylines.
For example, Pride Colors by Robin Stevenson is a children’s picture book that depicts the colors of the rainbow and their significance in the Pride flag. Another children’s book, Mamma and Mommy and Me in the Middle is about a young girl who is raised by a same-sex couple. And Tango Makes Three is a picture book about two male penguins who create a family together. Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda is a book that inspired the film Love, Simon, about a gay teenager who is not yet openly out.
The novel Forever, by the popular children’s and young adult author Judy Blume, also made the list.
Save Samuels, an activist group committed to making sure the library remains open, organized in the wake of the controversy. The Save Samuels website says the community “see[s] this for what it is, and we won’t allow our library to be used as a political wedge to win over religious voters at the expense of our LGBTQ+ community”.
Complaints from the far-right group about the books were obtained through freedom of information requests and released by Save Samuels. Some said “our library should not be carrying ANY material about LGBT” and “The library should destroy this book”. Another said the books “promote witchcraft”.
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The backlash led to the library’s director, Michelle Ross, stepping down.
Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America – the non-profit US organization that works to protect freedom of speech – issued a statement in support of the library.
“What is happening in Front Royal, Virginia, should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who cares about the freedom to read. Because of an activist minority and a campaign of intimidation, an entire county may soon lose out on access to literature and information,” Meehan said.
“Public libraries are a critical part of our democracy; to see one threatened by baseless claims and conspiracy theories is deeply alarming. We hope that funding will be released and that Samuels Library will be able to continue serving its constituents.”
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