4 books face calls to be banned from Douglas County Public Libraries
By Olivia Young
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DOUGLAS COUNTY (KCNC) — Four books centering around LGBTQ themes are facing calls to be banned from Douglas County Libraries.
The controversy surrounds a picture book called “The Hips on The Drag Queen Go Swish Swish Swish,” and three young adult books: “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “This Book Is Gay,” and “Jack of Hearts (and other parts).”
“The issue with these books are the themes and suggestive nature, sexual elements, that are portrayed in these books, and the question of, ‘Well, why is this something that should be in the library catalog?'” said Aaron Wood, Founder of the Christian men’s group Freedom Fathers.
Wood is leading the charge against the books. While former librarian Jessica Fredrickson says the efforts are censorship, motivated by anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
“We don’t ban books in America right?” Fredrickson said, “I think the freedom to read is a First Amendment right and banning books is very dangerous and it’s a slippery slope.”
“Banning books is not what this is about,” said Wood, “those books will still be available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and whatnot. This is about as a community we fund the library through our tax dollars and the library should hold a higher standard.”
Fredrickson says it’s important kids have access to affirming literature.
“There is nothing to hide about being queer or gay or lesbian or bi or transgender. That is an identity worth celebrating,” she said.
But Wood says his concern doesn’t come from the LGBTQ themes.
“It still is destructive to position these things in front of young children who are impressionable and they’re forming a worldview and do we want to pervert that worldview with sexual obscenities?” Wood asked.
The three young adult books are shelved in the adult section of the library. All four books currently have a waitlist.
“What is demand telling us? Do people in the county actually want to read these books?” Executive Library Director Bob Pasicznyuk said.
Pasicznyuk has already looked at the request and decided not to remove the books.
“I looked at each of those options in turn and I couldn’t find any rationale that would allow me to do that for the customer,” Pasicznyuk said.
Now the question will go to the Library Board of Trustees, for the first time in library history. Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. the board will meet at the Parker library to decide whether the books will be removed.
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