What is happening in this picture? What do you see, what is it about?
A library in West Michigan, USA had a $200,000 funding cut last year after a vote by the public because it had books with LGBTQ+ characters. Some protestors argued that by having these books on its shelves, the library was indoctrinating young children.
With the funding cut from the council the library would have to close. What do you think happened next?
People who supported the LGBTQ+ community decided to challenge the library closure and set up GoFund me campaigns.
Michigan resident Michelle Barrows set up one of the funding pages. She said, "I was very disheartened that the majority of this community believes in defunding this library because it has books with subjects they don't like or don't understand. If you don't like the book, don't check it out! Books don't make people gay. Books do provide understanding, teach tolerance and love of differences."
Resident Jesse Dillman said, "The Patemos library is a core part of the community fabric. I strongly believe that most residents here don't share these views and desire to keep funding our local library.
So far $90,000 has been raised.
In Llano County, Texas, a call to close the library was overturned last week Protestors compiled a list of books they wanted banned which included books on LGBTQ+ and race. A federal judge said that removing the books was an "infringement of free speech".
KA Holt is a children's book author from Texas. She argued, "Particularly in a place like rural Texas, having books in the library that represent people who are different than you are, and parts of the world that are different from yours, that little library is like an embassy to the rest of the world. When you close something like that down, or when you try to ban books that are different from your view of the world, what you’re doing is siloing yourself off even more. That’s not what makes critical thinkers.”
- What is a library for?
- what is indoctrination?
- what is free speech?
- How are indoctrination and free speech different?
- Can a library book indoctrinate a child?
- How can a little library be an "embassy to the world"?
- How does reading books where there are characters who are different to you affect you? Does reading about a different character make you the same as them?
- why do some people what books banned?
- "Books don't make people gay. Books do provide understanding, teach tolerance and love of differences." do you agree? How would you build on, agree or disagree with that statement? Can you think of any examples?
- "when you try to ban books that are different from your view of the world, what you’re doing is siloing yourself off even more." what does KA Holt mean by this?
- What can we learn from this situation?
- What do we say in our school about books with LGBTQ+ characters or characters with different race? Can you think of any you have read in school? Which are your favourites?
- How can we make sure this situation does not happen in the UK?
- What law in the UK means this situation would be challenged (The Equality Act 2010 - who is protected in the Equality Act?)
- Which British Values are affected by this story?
- Why is this about No Outsiders?
www.no-outsiders.com
