Four books with LGBTQ+ themes will remain on Douglas County Libraries’ shelves after the board of trustees voted Wednesday night to retain them.
Board members unanimously agreed that the books met the library system’s standards and the staff had followed system policies in denying a challenge of the four books, said Amber DeBerry, a Douglas County Libraries spokeswoman.
The books were challenged by Aaron Wood, founder of a conservative group called Freedom Fathers, who cited their LGBTQ+ content in his written objections. Wood said the books promoted hypersexualized behavior and could be damaging to young people.
The four books were, “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish” by Lil Miss Hot Mess; Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)” by L.C. Rosen; “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson; and “All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” by George M. Johnson.
To challenge a book, library patrons first file an appeal to the collections manager, then the library executive director and then the board of trustees. Library staff reviews the books, including studying whether they are in circulation in other Colorado libraries and determining how many times they were checked out to understand the demand.
Wood told The Denver Post in an interview earlier this week that he already has found more books that he will challenge.
The challenges come amid a growing wave of attempted book bans across the United States. Many of the books being targeted are written by and for gay people.
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