This week read about a library in Wyoming being threatened for having LGBT books, and a protest at a school after a bullied gay teen gets suspended in Missouri.
Library Threatened Over Books About Sex, LGBT Topics
Residents of Cheyenne, Wyoming have filed a complaint with the police regarding books in Campbell County Public Library. The books spotlight LGBT issues and discuss sex, what it is, and how it’s performed.
The library also scheduled a transgender magician to perform for children but after locals sent threats to the magician and library workers, the event was canceled, NBC reported.
Susan Sisti, a local pastor, pointed to these books as being problematic: “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson, “How Do You Make a Baby” by Anna Fiske, and “Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy” by Andrew P. Smiler.
Amazon book reviews show that books’ contents range from defining sexual orientation to featuring illustrations of sex. The location of most of the books within the library has not been reported, however, “This Book is Gay” was determined by library officials as belonging in the teens’ section.
Prosecutors are reviewing the case against the library, but Terri Lesley, the library’s executive director, says that they have not been contacted by officials and don’t know which books have left them in potential legal trouble.
School Suspends Bullied Gay Teen; Students Protest
Photo via PxHere.
Danny Lillis, a senior at Lee’s Summit High School in Missouri, was bullied for his sexuality and for wearing makeup to school; several of his friends were also harassed.
“It wasn’t just through words,” Lillis told WDAF. “It was more through laughter and actions such as things getting thrown at my lunch table. Mustard got thrown at my friend’s hair that was aimed at my table because of this.”
Several students were suspended after Lillis, his defenders and bullies got into a physical altercation, according to the Advocate.
KMBC reported that Malani Hohlbaugh, a student involved in the fight and one of Lillis’s friends, was left with a broken nose and busted lip.
Hundreds of students walked out of class in protest of Lillis’s and his friends’ suspensions and parents are demanding the school take more action to prevent bullying.
The school district released this statement: “Everyone in the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District community deserves to feel safe and welcome … School and district administrators are conducting an investigation and taking action to ensure the safety of all students and staff.”
