Book censorship and attacks on LGBTQ+ people from the right have been nonstop since 2021. Thanks to far-right social media that thrives off picking a victim of the day and going all in on harassment and stochastic terrorism, as well as legislators who spend more time thinking about what’s happening in the underpants of children than on solving real-world problems like children’s hunger, in many parts of the country, it is perceived as unsafe for libraries to put together a display of LGBTQ+ books in June. In some communities, like Fresno, California, as well as in states like Indiana, political leadership has attempted to rebrand June as “nuclear family” month; this, despite plenty of nuclear families being composed of queer people. Such efforts actually highlight and reinforce the need for Pride, though learning and education don’t appeal to those manufacturing such efforts.
By not participating in Pride out of fear, the bigots have won. Silence and erasure are their goal. Libraries are complicit in further marginalizing an already-marginalized population. What needs to be underlined here is that once Pride is gone from libraries, it won’t come back. This isn’t just about Pride displays, events, or acknowledgments. It’s about the people. Queer people will stop showing up because they don’t feel welcomed or seen, and again: that makes libraries complicit in the right’s political agenda of public erasure.
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Pride in libraries matters because it meets the needs of the community. No matter how “small” a library community may be–no matter how “rural” it may be–queer people exist everywhere and deserve to be seen. It’s not just patrons, either. Libraries include staff who are queer, too, and the ongoing erasure of queer people from libraries sends a message to those who work in these institutions that they aren’t welcome, either.
Quieting of Pride in libraries happens in many ways. Seeing fewer reports of attacks on Pride seems like a good thing, as no one wants to be and no one should be targeted. But fewer reports right now actually elucidate that fewer things are being presented for Pride, and there’s less discussion or celebration of Pride, period. There’s less being promoted, and there’s also a culture of fear associated with speaking up and out about the silencing of Pride–both things can be and are true. Library workers don’t want to lose their jobs by saying events or displays in their library were nixed before they could even happen. The media and its lack of local reporting–a contributing factor to library censorship, as public meetings where these conversations are happening and decisions are being made are just not being covered. If they are, it’s too often locked behind a content gate.
Quieting also happens more systematically. Numerous libraries have seen their right-wing boards craft policies related to affinity displays or programming. These policies target marginalized groups either intentionally, which we have seen in libraries where the far-right has simply taken over the library board and built the institution in their cult leader’s image, or they’ve been created under the guise of “neutrality.” But libraries aren’t neutral. Libraries have never been neutral, and libraries can never be neutral. They are unabashedly pro-library, which means being unabashedly pro-community and unabashedly pro-representation. Neutrality is bullshit. “Neutrality” is why far-right interests have run the train over libraries again and again and again. If libraries stand for nothing, they fall over easily again and again and again.
Neutrality is white supremacy. Until libraries understand that being political isn’t the same as being partisan, extreme partisan interests will declare the library as theirs and theirs alone.
Libraries belong to the entire community. Not just those who are the loudest, those who have the most money, or those who are proud to carry the most guns, real or imagined.
Protecting libraries during these times falls on both library advocates and the libraries themselves. Too often, libraries don’t advocate on their own behalf, and, as a result, are forced to decide whether to do the right thing and celebrate their entire community when the time comes, or to keep quiet and avoid notice from attention-seeking sycophants. All of this directly impacts the mental health of library workers, especially marginalized staff. Libraries that don’t advocate on their own behalf contribute to the community being caught by surprise when issues need support, meaning that the people and organizations who can do the most for the institution either find out too late or don’t find out at all. Let your community help you and support you. Even if you cannot directly advocate for yourselves–sometimes this is a local policy, especially under budgeting situations–there are ways you can inform your community of what’s happening. Take the San Antonio Book Festival’s example here as one smart, savvy way to get the word out.
So what happened in June 2026 regarding Pride attacks in libraries across the United States? Let’s take a look–and note, this is only for U.S. libraries. Several terrible things happened elsewhere across the globe (looking especially over in the U.K.).
Good News: “Hide the Pride” Appears to Be Gone; Bad News: Books Are Still Being Stolen
It appears that the previously annual “Hide the Pride” campaign hosted by the far-right organization CatholicVote is no longer being formally organized. I noted this last year, but even looking at their website, the last update was for the “third annual” event, which took place in 2024.
“Hide the Pride” not being formally organized doesn’t mean there aren’t individuals or groups going library to library, checking out LGBTQ+ books from shelves or Pride displays, and never returning them. It just means that a single national organization is not spearheading it.
Such “borrow all the books and don’t return them” actions are theft. This is stealing property that belongs to the library and to community members–often taxpayers–of that library.
Several library workers reported theft of LGBTQ+ books this year.
“A man came in and took all the books from multiple pride displays, including board books, picture books, juvenile fiction, and adult nonfiction,” explained a library worker from a large library system in North Carolina. “He split the books into multiple transactions at multiple service points to avoid suspicion (as though we would have stopped him from checking out books). He obviously doesn’t understand just how many queer books we have access to or the lengths we’ll go to keep these displays stocked for the kids and families who actually need them.” The library worker noted that this particular individual had done the same thing last year.
A library worker from Baltimore, Maryland, noted that a woman came into one of the branch libraries in the system and checked out all of the books in the children’s Pride display. It was the second year in a row she did this. The library worker noted that “to her credit,” the woman eventually brought them all back. “She just doesn’t want children to be groomed.”
Books on a book display, books in a library, or library workers doing their jobs do not engage in any “grooming.” The complete deterioration of a word with a real, life-altering, traumatic meaning is entirely in the hands of the same group of people harboring and protecting actual pedophiles.
In addition to theft, some libraries saw queer books defaced. A library worker in Moscow, Idaho, shared that “someone had put a half-sheet piece of paper inside the book All Boys Aren’t Blue that said something along the lines of, ‘Caution, this book contains queer and sexually explicit content.’ It was printed and included a graphic [to look like the library’s] — so at first, the person who showed it to me thought the library put it in the book. But it was someone who had snuck it into the book.” That same librarian noted that their library used to host Drag story time events, but those stopped following harassment from a local Christian nationalist church community.
Book Display Dismantling and Erasure
The story that got the most airtime is out of Monroeville Public Library (PA). Monroeville Councilman Bill Krut claimed that the Pride display in the children’s area, which had books for children, was “grooming.” He added that several other council members agreed with him and demanded the display’s removal. This amounts to capital-C censorship, in which someone with real or perceived political power threatens those who do not follow their orders. Krut, so worried about what other people’s children might look at at the public library, posted a photo of the display on his Facebook page to manufacture outrage, and he was successful.
There’s a little bit more complexity to this story. The city’s mayor opposed the removal of the display and noted that he hadn’t been informed of the situation at all. Indeed, it appears as though the collusion among city officials to get the display removed may have been illegal in and of itself. It’s infuriating, but it’s also not surprising to see from the party that can only win elections by lying, cheating, and stealing at this point.
In Durham, North Carolina, county officials pressured the library to remove Pride displays from their facilities. A directive was issued in writing, stating that any library with such displays must remove them. This prompted an outcry from both the staff and community. The “good” news, as it were, is that these demands were reversed within 24 hours.
Heading back to the above-referenced Fresno, California, the county is considering privatizing the library. This comes right after the same county officials stated that the library could not get involved in any Pride events in the city, nor could it have any Pride displays in the library. We know that efforts to privatize libraries right now aren’t actually about money; these discussions emerge during periods of high censorship and the desire for political officials to have more power over these institutions. That’s why discussions about privatization took place in Huntington Beach, California, and that’s why privatization occurred at the Huntsville Public Library in Texas (see here and here). This isn’t the first time Fresno officials have targeted the library for its efforts to celebrate Pride. It’s become an annual affair there.
At public library system in central Virginia, a library worker notes that when they once had Pride displays, a new policy implemented in recent years means they can no longer display them. Why? “Books that may be sensitive or objectionable are not included in the displays but are kept within the shelves. The library’s goal is to keep the displays neutral.“
Also not allowed to have Pride displays front and center in their libraries: the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Kansas. That’s because of “complaints in the past.”
After Pride month, this story out of New Jersey highlights how public officials use their positions to parrot discriminatory beliefs and partisan ideology. A Somerset County Library Pride display bothered Peapack-Gladstone Councilman Conor Sweeney, who brought the display up at a local borough meeting to complain about it. What he said on Twitter about the display is nothing new or creative.
Booklists and Bookmarks Aren’t Safe, Either
Book lists–tools created by librarians to help readers find books to enjoy based on any number of appeal factors–have come under attack. So, too, have other indicators of LGBTQ+ material, including materials meant to help educate the public about these identities and why Pride itself matters.
At Columbia State Community College in Tennessee, a library’s LibGuide on LGBTQ+ terminology, flags, and organizations disappeared from the library’s website. It had been the library’s most-viewed guide, but the director heard from someone that they should remove it to “avoid any controversy.” The guide was not deleted, but it was unpublished. This is complying in advance, of course, and it’s also doing a tremendous disservice to an adult user audience. Who gets the safety of “neutrality?” Cishet white people.
One librarian at a Massachusetts public library noted that because last year’s social media post about curating a Pride display received such negative attention, their interest in creating a teen display this year was dampened. “The idea of having a display picture of different pride flags, with just the names of what type of queer identity each represented, was considered potentially ‘supportive’ in a way that could draw major criticism,” they wrote. This was accompanied by a further disheartening message: “I’m doing my best to fight for what I can, but it was a significantly disheartening and demeaning experience.”
From a public library worker in Alabama, “We have Pride bookmarks in our LGBTQ YA books, and [in June], a patron went through and pulled out and ripped up the bookmarks. While not all LGBTQ books have been moved, any YA LGBTQ book by an author that has had a book challenged in a neighboring library has had all their LGBTQ books moved to the adult section.”
Both Pride and Juneteenth flags were stolen from the Easton Area Public Library in Palmer Township, Pennsylvania. Imagine being so aggrieved that you steal affinity flags from a public building.
And in Utah, a Davis County Commissioner saw it fit to harass a librarian for having a Pride flag in the library. There’s no date on when this happened, but the story is likely not a one-off occurrence and is a reminder of where and how people in leadership roles can cruelly wield their power.
Pride-Themed Events Still Get Delayed, Canceled, and/or Threatened
The Alabama librarian who reported the destruction of Pride bookmarks noted that they have also been denied the chance to offer an innocuous Pride-themed event. The event isn’t even one held in the library–it’s a Rainbow Bead Bracelet Take-and-Make Craft, meaning that people who’d like to make a rainbow bead bracelet come into the library to get the supplies and instructions before making it at home.
Gorham Public Library in Maine set up a Drag storytime this spring, well ahead of Pride. But that timing didn’t stop it from becoming an event that led to an altercation. The event, which was in a private room and therefore not “open for anyone to see,” was stormed by a man who forced his way in. The police were called to the scene–and it turns out the problem wasn’t the drag queen reading to children but to grown adults who believe they get to decide what other people’s children get to do and see.
Boston Public Library (MA) drew complaints over its slate of drag story events this year, too. They came from a local Catholic advocacy group, which used the same tired language to describe the events. The library did not cancel them, and again, people who don’t want to attend such “depraved” events are simply welcome not to.
A public librarian in New Jersey wanted to host a Pride Prom, and while other Pride-themed events at the library in the past have not been an issue, this year, the board–who has never before been involved in and should not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the public library, as that’s the role of staff–needed to approve the event because it could be “controversial.” The librarian noted, “It finally got approved, but it took so long that it was hard to schedule it. [It] feels like [the board] ramping up to say we can’t do it again, and I hope I have teens showing up to prove that it’s necessary.”
Southgate, Michigan, saw their one-hour community Pride event canceled this year. It was to be hosted by the library, but the city manager elected to cancel the entire event because “City funds/resources would not be used to pay for a vendor scheduled to come to the event” and “The City’s position is that public funds should not be used to sponsor social or political advocacy activities, regardless of the viewpoint expressed.” As reported by the Detroit Free Press, the vendor at the center of the Pride cancellation sold glitter henna tattoos.
There is good news about this cancellation, though. The Pride event was allowed to continue, and not because glitter tattoos were canceled. Michigan’s The Library Network stepped in to pay for the vendor.
Complaints About “Too Many LGBTQ+ Books” In The Collection
If 10% of adult Americans openly identify as LGBTQ+ (a number that is 25% for teenagers), then the library needs to have materials representing a wide array of voices and viewpoints. But even if those numbers were lower–and we know they’re already only representing those who are comfortable enough to be openly queer and report that–LGBTQ+ voices are part of our global community and deserve space on shelves. Unless a public, taxpayer-funded library only has LGBTQ+ books and nothing else, then there is no such thing as “too many LGBTQ+ books” in the library.
No such place exists.
“I currently have a trustee who is pushing back against the number of queer books I have in my teen room in a very subtle way,” explains a public librarian in Massachusetts (not the same one above talking about Pride displays). That trustee has been noting there aren’t enough books for their white cishet son, who is into history nonfiction. The trustee has complained to the library director about the situation, too, but as of now, the librarian continues to purchase the books that her users are requesting–including LGBTQ+ ones. The librarian here actually shared some of the same feelings the trustee did about other aspects of the teen collection, including better collaboration with local schools, but so far, the librarian has been unable to get the school on board.
For years, the Talcott Public Library in Rockton, Illinois, has been under attack by local far-right agitators. Their most recent library board election was used to spread massive disinformation via a local politician to get more far-right members on this board. Since that election, the board has taken an even harder right turn.
From a local librarian who has been watching this situation unfold from outside the institution: “At the April 2026 board meeting, there were several public comments regarding books in the collection. One patron printed out copies of Gender Queer and read through all of the “offensive” bits, while another spent her public comment time reading medical information about HRT and transgender issues. When asked how this related to the library, the patron said “there are more trans books in this library than any other library.”
The library worker adds that “A board member then brought up a library-created list of 250 books that feature characters who identify as LGBTQIA+, and stated that that’s more than enough for this small community. All of these talking points were distributed by the board’s VP, which was uncovered through a FOIA request. The meeting is available to view here.”
Finally, after months and months of budget challenges, layoffs, and the dismantling of the Timberland Regional Library (WA), we’ve come to learn that the library’s board president has a bigger agenda behind him during Pride month. He wants the library to be “beige,” built in the image of white supremacy and nothing more. The leak of this information has left local republicans salivating at the possibility, while also pointing to just how much damage a few people can wreak on a library system. That said, such “beiging” of the libraryisn’t popular with the Union nor patrons, who pay the taxes for it.
Ending On A Positive Note
At Dayton Memorial Library–a rural institution in Washington state–the chair of the library’s board of directors heard a complaint about a Pride display. The library passed a display policy in 2024 that barred displays not strictly about new books, scheduled library programs, or paid holidays. This meant no displays about Pride, of course, but also no displays about Black History Month, other heritage celebrations, or even things like cozy craft books.
As that board chair prepared to discuss the policy at the meeting, though, he had a change of heart. The policy had been passed when he had just begun his time on the board, and it was the result of constant efforts by the same sorts of people who were manufacturing moral panic elsewhere. Once the policy was in place, those people disappeared.
That’s when the board president realized that what he really wanted to do at the meeting was eliminate the policy altogether. That’s precisely what happened. The Dayton Memorial Library staff now have total control to develop displays where and how they would like to (inadvertently!), now, thanks to complaints about their Pride display.
We are the only ones who can stand up and protect our fellow humans, whether or not we identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. This is our responsibility, and it is a sacred duty.
Stonewall cannot be forgotten–and in an era where history continues to be erased and queer people, especially trans and nonbinary folks, face a firehose of local and federal legislation directly targeting their ability to live freely as themselves, libraries have a responsibility to amplify, celebrate, and protect these voices in June and beyond.
It is hard work. It is sometimes complicated work. But it is also the job and the responsibility of a community-centered and trusted institution of democracy, civic engagement, and education.
Book Censorship News: July 17, 2026
After last week’s lengthy link roundup, this week’s better mirrors typical July news in the world of censorship. This quieter week won’t be the trend for too much longer.
- Based on the advice from an anti-LGBTQ+ group, the Cromaine Public Library Board (MI) decided to move 100 books from youth sections of the library into the adult section–all without bothering to even review the books.
- After Knox County School officials removed Roots from the district and then put it back on shelves, those same officials decided to approach lawmakers about the overly-broad implications of the 2022 Age Appropriate Materials Act. Now legislators are pointing the finger back at those officials, saying it’s up to them to interpret the law that they, the lawmakers, wrote. This nonsense is precisely what literally everyone said would happen.
- If you’re near or can get to Waterloo, Iowa, on Saturday, July 18, there’s an incredible program about to happen. The 1619 Freedom School Read-In will feature an array of incredible Black authors talking about their work amid book bans in the state and beyond.
- A former East Baton Rouge Parish Library employee (LA) was fired last year for not using a coworkers pronouns, and that former employee–who is a local pastor–is now suing the library for First Amendment violations.
- Public school librarians in Ohio are ringing the alarms about how dire the state of school libraries–and censorship–is in the state.
- “After removing hundreds of books, Clay County is debating the purpose of high school libraries. School officials called it modernization. Critics see it as the next phase of the book debate targeting fiction books.” Florida is the blueprint for what happens nationwide, and as advocates have been saying since this began in 2021, it was never stopping at books. Books were never the real point.
- Stephen King wonders what’s wrong with people who’ve banned his book in Utah. This may have been a question not necessary to ask had King not been flippant about book bans back when this began, when he just told kids to haul butt to get the banned books. People like King directing his legions of followers to do something in 2022 or 2023 or 2024 or 2025 could have made 2026 look a lot different.
- North Carolina’s general assembly is now going to require policies that allow rampant book banning in public schools, and it’s all tied into passing the state budget. This bill isn’t as strict as the one in South Carolina–which has led to two dozen bans on books from all public schools in the state–but it is a step in that direction.
- Five booksellers from two different stores in Hong Kong were arrested for selling books the state deemed in defiance of “national security.”
