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US librarians tackle ‘manufactured crisis’ of book bans to protect LGBTQ+ rights (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/queer_defense_front@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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In at least half a dozen states, librarians have joined forces with civil rights groups to oppose book bans, often facing personal and professional repercussions

For decades, libraries served as a safe haven for many queer and marginalized youths in eastern Texas, says former county library director Rhea Young. Unlike the school cafeteria, the library was a space where they could explore and find acceptance in who they wanted to be.

“There were books where they can find characters like them, and realize it’s okay to be who they are,” Young said. “There needs to be more places like that, not fewer.”

That all changed two summers ago when, amid a wave of book bans, Montgomery county officials asked Young to move books with LGBTQ+ themes or “sexually explicit” content at the public library into a section restricted to readers 18 years and older, and instructed her to order more titles with conservative Christian content.

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[–] 36 points 10 months ago

There's nothing that exposes what fragile loser control-freaks the reactionaries are than telling other people what they cannot read.

They're pathetic.

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    [–] 16 points 10 months ago

    and instructed her to order more titles with conservative Christian content.

    Scumbags.

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    [–] 8 points 10 months ago

    I read the book Troy in middle school, which is where I read my first depiction of rape, and a baby getting the actual shit beaten out of them. Then in our high school library we got A Song of Ice and Fire, which blew 9th grade me away lol. Either way, bet your ass those aren't getting removed

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    [–] 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 child)

    When I was a kid, the evangelical school I went to banned Harry Potter and had a book burning.

    I was never into Harry Potter to begin with, but j would be curious to know how they're feel about it now that JK Rowling is an openly hateful bigot? Like is magic and sorcery suddenly not a dangerous message from the devil as long as it comes with a TERF disclaimer?

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