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Public library staff have been issued with instructions to secure buildings, alert gardaí and avoid commenting to the media in response to rising numbers of protesters seeking to remove “offensive” LGBTQ+ books aimed at young people.
In recent weeks, groups of campaigners have been entering libraries and targeting what they describe as inappropriate books aimed at 12- to 17-year-olds which, they say, promote “gender ideology and pornography”.
Among the books protesters have highlighted are ‘This Book Is Gay’ and ‘What’s the T?’ by Juno Dawson; ‘Yay! You’re Gay! Now What?’ by Riyadh Khalof; ‘Sex Ed An Inclusive Teenage Guide to Sex and Relationships’ by The School of Sexuality Education; and ‘Trans Teen Survival Guide’ by Owl and Fox Fisher.
Groups by the name of the Irish Education Alliance, Parents’ Rights Alliance and Lawyers for Justice claim these books and others violate child protection legislation. They have advised followers to enter public libraries, ask librarians to show them LGBTQ+ books in the aged 12-17 section and take photos of relevant books with “inappropriate” reading materials which “violate” the Children First Act (2015).