Posted on June 27, 2022 at 2:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

After facing public pressure, a New York library board has reversed its ban on LGBTQ+ displays in the children's section.

CNN reports that the Smithtown Library Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting just two days after it voted to dismantle the existing displays.

Among the prominent voices of opposition to the original vote: New York Governor Kathy Hochul and best-selling author Jodi Picoult, who once worked at the Smithtown Library.

Their tweets likely helped prompt the pressure to hold an emergency meeting and helped drive attendance, with Literary Hub reporting that the thousand-plus attendees exceeded the Zoom participation limit.

The library board issued a statement Thursday night that included the following: "The majority of the board recognizes that our earlier decision was made without the time, care, or due diligence that a decision of this type deserves and that it was the wrong decision."

Smithtown is far from the only library system facing attacks over inclusivity.

The Associated Press reported on a number of cities whose drag queen story hours have been targeted by protests — but whose librarians promise to stand firm against that pressure.

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Categories: Today in Books

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