Libraries have been advised that they should bury books from “Terf” authors deemed to be “offensive” while prominently displaying works promoting far-left transgender ideology.
Guidance titled from a London “LGBTIQ+ library” called Book 28 in Islington dubbed: “Welcoming LGBTIQ+ users: advice for public library workers” has been sent out to libraries across the country about which books they should be featuring and which should be effectively hidden from sight.
While the leftist librarians who wrote the guidance called for limiting access to so-called Terf (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) books, it called for active promotion of not only LGBT-themed works but also putting in place other “best practices” such as hosting drag queen story hour performances and installing gender neutral toilets on library premises.
The advice, reported by The Telegraph, told public-run libraries that they should take measures to prevent the “risk” of LGBT people coming across “transphobic” books which they might find “offensive”. In addition, it said that the number of copies of such books held by libraries should be limited while saying they should stock multiples of pro-LGBT works.
“Be especially careful to make sure you do not make mistakes such as putting them on LGBTIQ+ displays or sections where they might cause upset,” the guidance stated. “You can interfile them in your general stock and those who want to seek out these titles can always do so via your catalogue without the risk of a LGBTIQ+ person coming across the book in a way that looks like it may be being endorsed.”
The guidance acknowledges that the books are legally allowed and that they may be of interest to the public, yet it suggested: “We would recommend to be mindful of and not promote these books… think carefully about how many you want to buy, perhaps based solely on individual requests”.
“There have been a few titles published which claim to be ‘gender critical’ and argue for removal of trans rights… These authors and their work can be labelled transphobic, and the writers themselves Terfs. We, along with many in the LGBTIQ+ community, find these books offensive.”
Although the specific ‘Terf’ authors were unnamed by the guidance, several British female writers have regularly been branded with the label, including Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, Material Girls author Kathleen Stock, and Helen Joyce, the author of Trans.
Responding to the guidance, Helen Joyce wrote on social media: “I’m absolutely spitting mad about this story. This stupid and arguably unlawful guidance (infringement of freedom of speech; belief discrimination) has been shared around the country’s libraries. I want to know if any of them followed it.”
Free Speech Union founder Toby Young also criticised the censorious library guidance, saying: “It’s the same doublethink that has infected Coutts, which tried to de-bank Nigel Farage because he isn’t aligned with the bank’s ‘inclusive’ values. What’s next? Telling libraries to burn the works by Kathleen Stock and Helen Joyce because they’ve dared to challenge ‘trans-inclusive’ dogma?
“It seems there are still Witchfinder Generals in the 21st Century, except instead of wearing witchfinder hats and black cloaks they display rainbow lanyards. Equity, diversity and inclusion is the Holy Trinity of the new puritans.”