LGBT

Eugene

(62,767 posts) Sat Nov 25, 2023, 06:24 PM Nov 2023

Kansas Library Removes LGBTQ+ Books in Order to Keep Lease

Source: The Advocate

Kansas Library Removes LGBTQ+ Books in Order to Keep Lease

St. Marys Public Library yielded to city commission demands influenced by the Society of St. Pius X, an anti-LGBTQ+ group, which has sparked concerns over censorship of LGBTQ+ content.

CHRISTOPHER WIGGINS
NOVEMBER 24 2023 9:04 AM EST

In an alarming development for the LGBTQ+ community in Kansas, the public library in St. Marys has removed all youth-oriented LGBTQ+ books from its shelves to secure its lease for another year.

This decision, highlighted by the Kansas Reflector, was in response to pressure from the city commission, influenced by the Society of St. Pius X, a religious group opposed to LGBTQ+ content.

City commissioner Gerard Kleinsmith had been particularly vocal in this debate, expressing his desire to terminate the library’s lease due to the inclusion of transgender-inclusive literature, which he derogatively refers to as “garbage,” according to the publication.

Despite claiming to oppose censorship, Kleinsmith and other commissioners, all members of the Society of St. Pius X, have made it clear that their religious views heavily influence their decisions regarding the library’s content.

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Read more: https://www.advocate.com/news/kansas-library-removes-lgbtq-books

5 replies

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Kansas Library Removes LGBTQ+ Books in Order to Keep Lease (Original Post) Eugene Nov 2023 OP

Wait! All commissioners are members of this religious society .. ? stopdiggin Nov 2023 #1

Cowards. And ugly bigotry raises its head higher than the Sunflowers that grace the state of KS. SWBTATTReg Nov 2023 #2

I'm wondering what they did with the books. Valdosta Nov 2023 #3

I guess its good i left the slightlv Nov 2023 #4

Places that repress LGBT rights often repress many others rights too and are places filled with bigotry and hatred. RKP5637 Nov 2023 #5

stopdiggin

(13,005 posts)

1. Wait! All commissioners are members of this religious society .. ?

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sat Nov 25, 2023, 06:30 PM

Nov 2023

Ya' know - that there might be yur problem ...

SWBTATTReg

(24,332 posts)

2. Cowards. And ugly bigotry raises its head higher than the Sunflowers that grace the state of KS.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sat Nov 25, 2023, 06:45 PM

Nov 2023

And while the rest of the Country (in reality, most of the Country) has come to accept the LGBT communities. Another stain on KS.

I hope that you're proud of yourselves in KS. I'll make sure that I no longer buy any sunflower seeds or any other KS products.

Valdosta

(331 posts)

3. I'm wondering what they did with the books.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sat Nov 25, 2023, 07:50 PM

Nov 2023

Move them to storage? Burn them?

slightlv

(4,439 posts)

4. I guess its good i left the

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sat Nov 25, 2023, 11:08 PM

Nov 2023

Library position some years ago. I lived working there. One of the few places that felt like "home"... these days I'd be hard pressed not to throw more than a few of their right wing titles back at them as garbage... not to mention quite a few of their Christianist books I similarly declare garbage... like the Left Behind series of nothing but sheer heresy. No doubt I'd be thrown out in no time flat.

There are avid readers in Ks... and a lit of people who don't believe in censorship. But most of them, like me, have been gerrymandered so bad our votes are completely diluted. Still... we keep pushing.

RKP5637

(67,112 posts)

5. Places that repress LGBT rights often repress many others rights too and are places filled with bigotry and hatred.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Wed Nov 29, 2023, 05:29 PM

Nov 2023

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