Posted on November 21, 2019 at 2:20 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

The Guardian reported yesterday that a West Virginia library board was set to meet and discuss whether an LGBT children’s book should be permanently removed.

A local blog, however, indicates that the fate of Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack was not in fact on the board’s agenda Wednesday, much to the gathered public’s outrage.

The Mountaineer Journal said the library board’s president accused the library director of wrongly stating the item would be on its agenda, then — after a failed attempt to adjourn the meeting — stormed out.

After the meeting, Upshur County Public Library Director Paul Norko told the blog that the book would remain off shelves while the board reviews it; the next meeting is scheduled for January 15.

Haack, the author of the book in question, has pushed back against criticism of his book, observing that people who fear it will turn children gay should remember “all the gay adults who grew up only reading about straight romances,” according to the Guardian.

Organizations including The National Coalition Against Censorship, the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom, West Virginia Library Association, and GLAAD (which published the book) have condemned its removal from the shelves.

The Mountaineer Journal also reported that two other LGBTQ-themed books were discovered in the library, but had no comment from the library director.

Categories: Today in Books

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