A public library board in New York has voted “to remove all Pride Displays, in addition to removing all books of the same subject on display, from all Children’s sections.” The president of the board, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, opposed the action.
[Update, 6/24/2022: The board voted last night in emergency session to reverse their ban of the displays. See my full update here.]
The board of trustees of Smithtown Library on Long Island, which has four branches, passed the above motion 4 to 2 “after lengthy discussion” at its monthly meeting on June 21st. One of the two votes against the ban came from Brianna Baker-Stines, president of the board, who told News 12 New Jersey, “I was horrified by the display of ignorance at last night’s Board meeting. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I recognize the importance of access to diverse materials. These can be life-saving resources for our youth.”
Several media outlets, and the LGBT Network, a support and advocacy organization that serves Long Island and Queens, have interpreted the board motion to mean the removal of “all Pride displays as well as all LGBT-related books.” The board noted on its website (PDF), however, “Please understand that all books on this subject are still part of the Library’s Children’s collection and can be checked out by anyone wishing to do so. These titles have not been removed from the collection. The Library continues to display Pride month displays in our Teen and Adult areas.”
While that interpretation of the (clearly poorly worded) motion is marginally better, many were quick to point out the board’s action for the discrimination that it is, regardless. The New York Library Association in a statement (PDF), called it “a direct violation of NYLA’s commitment to intellectual freedom and the freedom to read that libraries are entrusted to uphold.” They added, “This ban of any displays related to Pride sets a dangerous precedent for libraries across the state because it normalizes the victimization of LGBTQ+ youth in their schools and in their communities, which has dire consequences…. For many LGBTQ+ youth, libraries are the only safe, affirmative, and welcoming space during these formative years of their personal development.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) tweeted similarly:
For many LGBTQ+ kids, libraries are one of the few spaces where they can be welcomed and affirmed for who they are.
Our public spaces should be accepting our young people — not rejecting them.
To LGBTQ+ New Yorkers: We stand with you, we support you, & you are welcome here.
I’d add that the harm is not just on LGBTQ youth, but also on youth of all identities who have LGBTQ parents. Harmed, too, though perhaps less immediately and critically, are all other children, who will grow up with an incomplete view of the world around them.
The library’s actions come days after New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino (R) spoke out against New York City public schools for hosting Drag Queen Story Hour. If you thought that these sorts of actions only happened in conservative states, you’d be wrong.
The LGBT Network, in response to both Paladino’s and the library’s actions, is launching three initiatives “that will work toward permanently changing the landscape of our schools for our LGBTQ youth and the leadership that makes up our school boards and library trustee seats.” You can learn more at their virtual Community Town Hall, Monday, June 27, at 7 p.m. ET.
Equality New York, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization, has created a petition asking that the library trustees reverse their decision.
Additionally, the Smithtown Library is holding an emergency board meeting tonight, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. ET, via Zoom.
The ban on Pride displays is one of a rising wave of book bans and challenges over the past year or so, particularly targeting books about LGBTQ and other marginalized people. Here are a few of many things you can do to help fight this censorship:
- Confidentially report censorship that you see to the American Library Association (ALA) and/or to National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) via simple online forms.
- Visit NCAC’s Resources page and/or the ALA’s Fight Censorship page to learn more about First Amendment rights, censorship, and how to prevent and address it effectively.
- Visit the FReadom website for really useful information and tips on writing to school and library boards and otherwise taking action against book bans and challenges in your community.
- If you write about book bans or know someone who does, make sure to check out GLAAD’s Media Guide: Reporting on Book Bannings and School Censorship.
- Stay tuned in to your local politics and participate in town meetings and the like if you can. Vote even in purely local elections.
- Consider running for school and library boards yourself.
- Take heart that the number of LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books and the number of diverse children’s books generally continues to grow. Most publishers don’t seem to be backing down in the face of the book challenges and bans. That doesn’t mean that these books are getting into the hands of children who need and want them, however (which is why simply buying these books isn’t enough to stop censorship), but does indicate the ongoing demand for such books—underscoring why we must continue to fight book bans.