A library in Fairfax County, Virginia was criticized for putting the controversial books "Gender Queer: A Memoir" and "Lawn Boy" beside the Holy Bible for its reading display for the holidays.
CBN News highlighted that the two books were displayed by the Dolley Madison Library alongside stocking-style hats with bees and gnomes to respectively pair with. However, the Bible's paired stocking-style hat was rainbow-colored and matched with similar looking paraphernalia. The library also featured quotes from controversial books like "The Satanic Verses" of Salman Rushdie.
As per Fairfax County Public Library Director Jessica Hudson, the display was already removed following the public backlash. Hudson clarified in a statement sent to Fox News that their staff had no intention to offend people through the display.
"The Dolley Madison Library holiday reading display was intended to highlight the freedom to read and the fact that many library patrons have more time during the holidays to do so. It was not the intention of staff to create a display that could be construed as offensive. The display has been removed," Hudson said.
"Gender Queer," as reported here in Christianity Daily previously, is a book by Maia Kobabe that includes cartoon-style pornographic images where minors are depicted engaged in sexual acts. While "Lawn Boy" is by Jonathan Evison and depicts pedophilia. Both books were exposed and complained by Stacy Langton after finding them in her children's school, Fairfax County High School.
Langton's persistent efforts against the books led the county to pull them out while a decision on it is still pending and to create a committee that's set to review the content of the district's libraries. Two other committees were setup to review the book and is composed of librarians, school administrators, parents, and students.
Oddly, the committee announced that "there is no pedophilia present in the book" of Evison. The committee said the book "paints a portrait of the substantial obstacles faced by those who are marginalized by society." Similarly, the same is said on Gender Queer in not having pedophilia. The book was even described as a depiction of "the difficulties non-binary and asexual individuals may face."
The Fairfax County School District announced that the books will be returned to the shelves again following the acceptance of the committees' unanimous recommendation to do so by Instructional Services Department Assistant Superintendent Noel Klimenko. Though its implementation is on hold pending "any further appeal", the district stressed that the decision is out of its commitment to "diversity."
"I am satisfied that the books were selected according to FCPS regulations and are appropriate to include in libraries that serve high school students. Both books have value beyond their pages for students who may struggle to find relatable stories," Klimenko said.
Another parent, Nicole Solas, similarly complained on "Gender Queer" and even reported her son's school in Rhode Island, the North Kingston High School, to the police for it due to the book's being displayed in their library despite its pornographic content.
Accordingly, Kobabe's book has a strong support as it is recommended by two prominent organizations as a must-have in public libraries since it is "essential reading material for minors." These books are part of the Left's efforts in teaching the young on the LGBTQ propaganda.
The said backing organizations are the School Library Journal from New York and the Young Adult Library Services Association from Illinois. Both organizations are renowned to be award-giving bodies to librarians and writers for the promotion of the books they recommend and for writing books at par with their standards.
