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The Quiet Censorship of Pride 2024: Book Censorship News, July 19, 2024

This year's Pride festivities faced fewer blatant attacks than last year, but there were also fewer events, displays, and celebrations.

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Kelly Jensen

Editor

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen.

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Pride 2024 was a quiet one for libraries.

Last year, we covered an array of targeted attacks and harassment directed toward Pride events, book displays, and story times across the U.S. But in tracking the same topics and search terms this year, the number of incidents showing up in local and national news dropped significantly. But this decrease in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment toward libraries and other literary institutions and organizations during June shouldn’t lead to immediately celebration. Instead, it may be better explained by a noticeable decrease in Pride-focused programming from these institutions.

This year’s quiet Pride was not quiet because the world became more accepting. Pride was less contentious because of the quiet/soft/self-censorship of Pride itself.

“While threats and harassment were not an increased issue for me this year, the “soft censorship” of Pride from libraries, schools, and other institutions has negatively impacted every LGBTQ+ author I know,” said author Sarah Prager, author of four books, including Queer, There, and Everywhere: 27 People Who Changed the World. Authors saw fewer opportunities to take part in library events, in person or virtually, and performers like those who offer Drag-themed events were extended fewer invitations. In places where there were targeted attacks on Pride-themed displays or events, those stories rarely made the media. Part of that may be attributed to libraries wanting to avoid further harassment, and part of that may be the fault of the media, which has not only buried many of these democracy-forward stories under paywalls but also given up coverage of such stories for a variety of reasons.

Censorship attacks in libraries have a profound impact on the psychological well-being of library staff. Witnessing or directly experiencing out loud censorship over the last four years has, without doubt, created an environment where protection and safety are at the forefront. Unfortunately, that also means staff and patrons who are part of the queer community and/or wish to champion marginalized identities are cut twice — not only do they have to mind the realities of a small but violent and vocal anti-LGBTQ+ crowd but they are unable to serve the people who most need that championing.

“[B]ook banning’s impact on LGBTQIA+ books and authors, as well as a rise in fascism and a rise in anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, are impacting what’s available for Pride,” said Fin Leary, contributor to the forthcoming These Bodies Ain’t Broken. “I believe that there is a rising fear of supporting LGBTQIA+ books and events because of this rise in anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment, and that often, those who are in favor and supportive are being shut down or blocked in their attempts to host these types of events.”

The quiet censorship of Pride this year should be linked to backlash from the far-right and right-wing social media, too. With libraries and library workers regularly defamed in those circles, the temptation to withdraw is high. It might protect library workers temporarily, but it comes at the expense of queer library users and queer authors who don’t see themselves celebrated and championed in a democratic space.

“I think some businesses and larger corporations (Target, looking at you) downsized their collections and advertising in general in anticipation of worse backlash than they faced last year because it’s an election year. And I think this impacted smaller businesses or orgs who were worried that they would as well,” said Corrie Locke-Hardy, The Tiny Activist and author of the forthcoming book The Revolution Will Be Well Fed.

The systematic attacks on LGBTQ+-themed books, programs, and people are intimately tied, too, to the dismantling of public institutions like libraries more broadly. Budgets for public libraries especially have been taking a hit over the last few years across the country — New York Public Library’s recent fight is but one high-profile example and one that the legacy institution has weathered for several consecutive years — and with those cuts decisions that are tough and decisions that play right into the ongoing quiet/silent censorship cultures in many of these institutions (see “budget” excuses for not purchasing certain materials).

Budgets decreased for Pride-specific events over the last couple of years. One queer author, who preferred to remain anonymous, noted that their speaking income this year has gone from $20,000 down to $1,000 — they were even asked by a $20 billion corporation to speak at a rate of $150, a fee even lower than they would charge a public library.

“I think DEI budgets just temporarily went up in response to 2020 and 2021 pressure [related to Black Lives Matter and similar social justice movements], and that now that the pressure isn’t on with the same urgency, those budgets and that interest dispersed,” they said.

Whether due to pressure or their own self-censorship and desire not to be targeted, publishers also pulled back their Pride support this June. Locke-Hardy noted that they did not get nearly the same number of publisher collaborations they usually do. Where usually they average ten or so requests to help with content creation, book reviews, or book giveaways, this year saw only one or two requests.

Tellingly, those requests benefit the publisher far more than Locke-Hardy.

“I was not offered any compensation from publishers for anything Pride-related this year,” they said. “I noticed the same amount of shallow social media posts from publishers, some of whom haven’t even published any LGBTQIA2S+ titles but are still trying to profit.”

At the end of the day, quiet censorship is still censorship. In some ways, it’s an even more dangerous form of censorship because the true extent can never be known. It’s quiet for a reason — it’s meant to go unnoticed. But the communities most impacted by this erasure and soft removal are the same ones damaged by the not so quiet targeting.

“The rise in fascism that we’re seeing is having a direct impact on BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as other marginalized groups,” emphasized Leary.

Despite this, though, Leary takes heart in what he’s seeing happening nationwide: a continued rise in collective action.

“Marginalized authors and publishing professionals continuing to fight for and advocate for Pride events gives me heart. Seeing folks who are LGBTQIA+ raise their voices to support Palestine gives me a lot of hope. Community and collective organizing give me hope, and those who are doing what they can to fight book bans, censorship, and fascism in their communities do as well,” they said. “I’ve been proud to be a part of the organization We Need Diverse Books during this tumultuous time and proud to see the authors and publishing professionals who refuse to back down on the importance of queer stories and queer justice.”

They remind us why it is crucial to not only continue to be champions for marginalized voices but also why it is essential to continue being loud, rather than leaning into the easiness of quiet censorship: “None of us are free until all of us are free.”

“Hide the Pride” and Pride Display Challenges

Now in its third year, the targeted destruction and removal of LGBTQ+ book displays under the “Hide the Pride” campaign coordinated, hosted, and championed by the far-right Catholic organization CatholicVotes began its work even before the calendar turned to June. At least one branch of the Arapahoe Public Library (CO) reported books being checked out en masse from a display with a “Hide the Pride” letter signed and left behind. The display was quickly refilled, as the system not only had plenty of LGBTQ+ titles to add but also had experienced this display clearing last June.

But where the previous two years of “Hide the Pride” have resulted in several news stories and outspoken voices from libraries sharing that their collections were hit, this year, both CatholicVotes and libraries more broadly have reported far fewer instances. We saw a pastor in Wichita, Kansas, engage with and encourage his congregation to take part, to which librarians responded that mass borrowing of LGBTQ+ books may actually result in the purchase of more of that content thanks to clear interest in the material.

Three branches of the Omaha Public Library (NE) saw their displays targeted by “Hide the Pride,” and at least one branch also heard complaints from patrons claiming such displays were “detrimental” to the children of the community. A Chicago-area library was also hit, per a report on Reddit from a librarian.

As of writing mid-July, even CatholicVotes has not yet posted about their “successes” in this year’s campaign; last year, they put their roundup together before June even concluded.

Other libraries reported challenges to their Pride displays outside of the coordinated “Hide the Pride,” too. Richmond Hill Public Library in Bryan County, Georgia, saw protests over an LGBTQ+ display in the library, which led to its removal. Marysville Public Library (OH) drew criticism for their display from a group that also targeted other local Pride events in June. Elsewhere in Ohio, Steubenville Public Library saw less pushback for its Pride display this year than in the past, though at least one patron took it upon themselves to try to dismantle it.

In Orem Public Library (UT), Pride displays have been among the issues that library workers have dealt with now for several years running. They were among the first public libraries seeing open hostility and censorship in this current wave, back in summer 2021. This year, though, such “heritage” displays were once again permitted–whether or not they were created is not yet clear.

As for other libraries, the response to Pride displays played out on social media. Take a moment to look through the hundreds of comments on a simple Pride display shared by the Safety Harbor Public Library in Florida. They are a reminder of what libraries and library workers are dealing with nationwide.

Intimidation, Violence, and Threats of Violence

Once again, libraries received bomb threats to try to deter their Pride-themed programs and, specifically, their hosting of drag story hours. Among the libraries that received bomb threats tied to Pride programming this year were the Woodstock Public Library in New York, the Seward Public Library in Alaska, and Montclair Public Library in New Jersey. Although they did not receive threats of violence, a well-coordinated intimidation campaign against a drag story time in Sonoma County Libraries (CA) happened during Pride month for the second year in a row. It’s noteworthy that in this library system, a drag story hour event like this happens quarterly, but it is only during Pride when they are targeted by agitators.

Bookstores experienced similar threats. Books, Inc. in the Bay Area (CA) received a bomb threat that led to the cancelation of a drag story time, while a Newton art center outside Boston, Massachusetts, was threatened for hosting a similar event. In Portland, Oregon, Dark Star Magick had their store window broken and their Pride display burned.

Pride flags themselves became targets in public libraries. A juvenile shot a Pride flag at the Newberg Public Library in Oregon and Pincher Creek Library in Alberta, Canada, had their flag targeted for the second year in a row.

Other Stories

Dozens of library workers and educators from across the U.S. shared their stories from Pride month as well. A common theme of fear or worry of retaliation — either internally or from outside agitators — threaded through many of the stories and experiences. To protect the identities of those who shared, the anecdotes below are identified only by the states and types of libraries in which they occurred; in some instances, I’ve done light editing of potentially identifying information. You’ll see common threads from stories above, including pushback from administration and individual community members (as well as library workers themselves!) about Pride displays, Pride events, and more. Interestingly, many of these stories included qualifiers like “it’s not as bad as other places.” Any act of discrimination or intimidation is bad. Some may be more directly violent than others, but each and every one of these is real and real harm done.

These should serve as a reminder, too, that even in “good,” “progressive,” “blue” states and even in those with laws protecting access to diverse materials, bigotry, discrimination, and hate not only exist but still drive decision-making.

  • Illinois, Public School: “I taught my middle school students about the history of Pride Month. Several parents called and complained to express their disapproval of this being taught. One specifically mentioned the fact that ‘A man with a beard in a dress is NOT a woman,’ and another said that ‘youth attracted individuals (pedophiles) are part of the + in LGBTQ+ Community’ and they objected to any mention of trans identity or the + representation. They said that they had no issue with students learning about the history of Pride Month but not about Trans identities. We actually have multiple students in our school community who are either gender non-conforming or trans. As a result, I pulled back from teaching this information from my classes the last two days of last week. I do not feel supported at all by my Superintendent.”
  • Texas, Public Library: “For at least the second year in a row, we have been quietly discouraged from having any pride display. Last year, the reasoning was essentially that we didn’t want to tempt anyone to throw a fit; after June, it was revealed that someone on the board, who had made the decision to not offer displays, was the sole complainant. This year, there is a lot more undefined discouragement from ‘above.’ We weren’t told NOT to have displays, but that we should probably focus on other heritages to avoid any drama. While working in this library, I’ve never seen patron complaints to indicate we would be endangered or criticized if we put up a Pride display. This doesn’t mean that we WOULDN’T run into public backlash, but it also doesn’t mean that we would be upsetting anyone else. It’s very, very frustrating, particularly as a queer staff member.”
  • Washington, Public Library: “We have had issues throughout the year with patrons hiding queer books, removing books from their covers that are queer, and lots of missing queer titles. Just yesterday I found a picture book that was new shoved behind a shelf of picture books. It was supposed to be on display as a new book.”
  • Florida, Public Library: “Three masked people came in and said we were going against the culture. I was at the door, they sprayed black ink on my face. They also tore the Pride Flag that stood at the entrance and then went on to burn it.”
  • South Carolina, Public School: “Superintendent told the GSA advisor that given three district patents were challenging books, particularly LGBTQ+ books, that she may need to remove the rainbow bulletin board that the GSA uses in order to ‘protect’ herself and her club from questions.”
  • Huntington Beach, California, Public Library (note that the identity of this library is being used because the dismantling of the public library by the city there is well documented): “The city voted to ban pride flags on public properties and created a themed monthly calendar that excluded Pride.”
  • Wisconsin, Public Library: “We had a patron come in multiple times on June 1 and 2 to check out every Pride book on display. She asked questions about how many books she could check out and for how long. She stopped after June 2, presumably because she realized that her behavior was not making the display go away. We have several thousand books with LGBTQ+ content, so we simply kept refilling the display. We treated her with courtesy and kindness and did not ask any questions about her behavior, just checked books out to her and answered her questions.”
  • North Dakota, Public Library: “In our community, our city administration and library board have quietly implied we may not have LGBT/Pride displays of books. For the second year in a row, we have not had a Pride display in June due to this shadow ban. There hasn’t been a documented, visible targeting, just a quiet, off-the-record, silencing.”
  • California, Public Library: “One of the picture books in our Pride Display was vandalized; someone stuck a sanitary napkin to the pages.”
  • Oregon, Public Library: “Multiple LGBTQ+ books were removed from the library’s Pride display and purposefully hidden.”
  • New York, Public Library: “We had a bunch of Pride-themed events, and a conservative Twitter picked up a photo of [one of them] and stated that we were indoctrinating children — and asked if the prize kids would get was a dildo.”
  • Florida, Public Library: “We had two major instances this summer. Both white men in their 50s had similar behavior last year. Last year gentleman A had checked out about 5-6 books on our kids’ Pride display. They were never returned to us. In October, when he was charged for the items, he sent a nasty letter to administration saying how we had violated the public’s trust by having these materials. He explained that he wouldn’t be returning them and would put them in the trash where they belonged. Because we knew gentleman A and his stepdaughter before this happened, we had cultivated a relationship. He noted in his letter that the Youth Services staff must be working under some ‘agenda’ because he also praised us for being wonderful in the past. He paid for the price of the books but did not pay the processing fees. This fee was still on his account this June. However, when he grabbed 5-6 more titles, a staff member allowed him to check out despite the fee. He told her that he had ‘sent a check in the mail.’ Technically true, but not for the full amount. The staff member later notified admin. Our Library Director called him, and he confronted our Director, asking what the staff’s association with the LGBT movement was. Our Director explained that that was a personal question that was inappropriate. Gentleman A came back a few days later to check out Pride materials on another library card. The other issue was with Gentleman B. Last year, he checked out the entire Teen Pride display on June 1st. He did return the books, however. This year, he came on a Saturday with an IKEA bag. He filmed the display on his cell phone while narrating that ‘this is what our tax dollars are going towards.’ Then, at 5 minutes to close, he proceeded to check out as many as he could carry. When we made the closing announcement at 5 p.m., as the manager on duty, I let him know that his two stacks that had yet to be checked out would have to be checked out when we reopened on Monday morning. There were probably 15-20 books left. He told us to ‘check them out now.’ I explained that staff had to get home to their families. He insisted that we check out the books and began filming us while explaining that we were violating his rights. At this point, a number of staff were standing behind me. As I insisted that he needed to leave the books, we finally got to a point where I had to inform him that I would have to call the Sheriff’s office and have him trespassed if he did not follow our policy. To which he encouraged me to do so. So, ultimately he was trespassed indefinitely. He did get to check out the books because he could return them to any library in the cooperative, but he will not be returning. A few days later, he reached out to our Library Director with an apology, saying that staff was right and he was wrong. Regardless the trespass stands.”
  • Indiana, Public Library: “Both our teen and children’s Pride displays were actively targeted by religion pamphlets/cards/promotions. These would be put into the books (especially in the teen section) while workers had their backs turned. We had to check our displays every day, multiple times a day, and discovered dozens of the pamphlets.”
  • Ohio, Public Library: “A program for adult patrons on what drag is was canceled by the library without any input from patrons. The program did not receive any negative public comments or attention but was pulled by [a member of library management] because she was worried it could have negative attention from patrons. This was after it was approved by the branch manager, the programming manager, and [the complaining manager] herself.”
  • Illinois, Public Library: “There was a teen (high school age) Pride book display in the lobby. All of the titles were turned around. Camera footage showed a patron who has brought up objections to LGBTQIA+ programs and displays in the past.”
  • New Hampshire, Public Library: “We hosted a drag queen event with a local queer coffee shop, and when the event was posted on Facebook, we received 100+ negative trans/homophobic messages on the event. Our city attorney advised that we cannot delete or hide any such comments because by allowing comments, we’re allowing ‘all’ comments regardless of their hateful content.”
  • Massachusetts, Public Library: “A post made to our library Facebook about Pride was targeted for attack by rightwing people. FB comments of the usual ‘groomer. pedophile. wasting tax dollars’ etc.”
  • Illinois, Public Library: “At least one woman checked out all the books from a Pride display more than once in an effort to remove them from view. We believe the same woman is now accusing the library of not displaying other books now that Pride Month is over. To be clear, we always have book displays.”
  • Oregon, Community College: “During the entire month of June. when we had our pride cube display up, one of the employees was turning around or hiding the Happy Pride Month sign located on top of the cube. They didn’t go inside the cube and ruin anything. They also kept taking down our posters for the Drag Show that was happening May 31st. They probably threw away at least 10 of them. (They are also targeting Black History books by removing them from displays, they removed a poster for a tribal daycare center open to all families, they removed women’s non-partisan voting pamphlets, etc)”
  • Indiana, Public Library: “LGBTQ+ themed books in displays were being hidden, turned so the front cover wasn’t visible, or covered by another book.” They reported this happened at other branches of the library system as well.
  • Maryland, Public Library: “A customer sent the branch an online customer comment form that said, ‘I walked into the library yesterday and saw a Pride display. Since when does our library support specific agendas? I am extremely upset by this and am requesting that the display be taken down. Or you could put up another display explaining that God created the rainbow after the flood as a promise never again to destroy the entire earth by a flood again. And explain that He made people and animals male and female and that Satan is trying to throw people into confusion about how God made them, and they won’t be happy or content unless they embrace who they really are instead of trying to become someone they are not. How about putting that up for a display?'”
  • Maryland, Public Library: “A 14-year-old paper-clipped notes to two LGBTQ+ books that were displayed face out on bookshelves: Gender Rebels by Katherine Locke and I’m in Love with the Villainess by Inori. One note said ‘Trash Propaganda,’ and the other said ‘Kill Yourself Now.’ Security camera footage caught the teen in the act, and staff were able to talk with him and his mother. He was embarrassed and apologized.”
  • Montana, Public Library: “We have not been permitted to put up a Pride display for the past several years, but staff displayed a couple of books on Queer history. Halfway through the month, a member of management removed the two items from display, then explained to staff that we are no longer permitted to display items that are controversial to some members of our community. When I asked for clarification on how to do this in a community where everything is controversial, my questions went unanswered.”

Let’s end this with a pair of positive anecdotes before diving into this week’s book censorship news. These stories come from a Maryland public library: “Two customers expressed to staff how glad they were to see the branch’s pride display. One staff member reported, ‘We had a customer come in who sincerely praised us for sharing a pride display. She said as a gay woman, she truly appreciates being represented in the area despite some of the usual pushback regarding pride events/programs.’ Here’s what staff said about the second customer comment, ‘A little boy, around 9 or 10 years old, saw me switching out the Pride display for the Juneteenth display. He asked me, ‘Are you taking down the Pride display?’ I answered yes, and told him that the display had been up for a few weeks, so we are switching out in time for Juneteenth. He said, ‘Well, I love both. My heart is in both of them. I love Pride. I love Juneteenth!’ It made him so happy to see himself and his community on our displays!'”

Book Censorship News: July 19, 2024