Banned In Boston

When you heard that you knew it was a good book to read.

Book banning is a thing of the past; they don’t ban books anymore, do they?

Anti-gay preachers want LGBT books banned—from a display of banned books
Pink News UK
By Nick Duffy
19th September 2018

Local church leaders tried to censor a library’s display of banned books, in order to remove books referencing homosexuality.

The coalition of preachers took exception to the display at Rumford Public Library in Maine, which marked the American Library Association’s annual Banned Books Week.

Annual rankings for Banned Books Week are consistently dominated by LGBT-themed books, which still face disproportionate censorship and complaints across the US.
In a bitterly ironic twist, the display standing up against book censorship has itself faced calls for book censorship, after attracting attention from conservative church leaders.

You got that?

They want to ban the books that are banned!

So what were the books?

My Lesbian Experience with Lonliness by Kabi Nagata and Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan.
And Tango Makes Three, based on the real-life story of a gay penguin couple, and lesbian-themed classic The Color Purple.”

However…

Nowhere in the letter did the men object to the BDSM-themed erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey, which was also part of the display, despite their explicit objection to PG-themed children’s books.

So BDSM is okay, but LGBTQ is not.

What did the library say?

Fournier [a library employee] said: “I’ve been coming to this library just about every day since I was five years old, and I now work here.

“Those complaining, you don’t come here. I don’t see you. This is the first time I’ve seen any of you show up to a meeting.

“Where were you when we were talking about what we’re going to do for the troubled kids that come here? Did you know that we feed these kids?
[…]
Fournier continued to point out misleading and hypocritical claims that were made in support of censoring the display.

She said: “I’m getting frustrated. I’ve been yelled at for doing my job. The library code of ethics says we are not supposed to censor.

“This display, you’re all saying you don’t want it in the eyes of your children. But it’s upstairs in the adult section!

Some rabble-rouser sent out a call to action and once again they protest the not knowing the facts.

We have to protect the kids!

We have to protect the kids!

Oh it in the adult section… not important… We have to protect the kids!

As I said a couple of days ago, know your subject, do your homework.