Parents Debate Over What Books to Read to Children at Lincolnwood Library

Some parents object to book read with LGBTQ+ themes to kids while others express stigmatization of the LGBTQ+ community if books will be restricted.

The monthly gathering of parents and caregivers in Lincolnwood Monday night focused on what is on display at the local library and what books are being read to their children, and the night became a debate, CBS News reported. In fact, the event was moved to the village hall from the library to welcome a large crowd and ensure that last month's occurrence of chaos and police being called will not happen again.

Some parents in the northern suburbs expressed that books with LGBTQ+ themes, which were read to children over the summer, should be tagged as inappropriate and be restricted from the library, away from kids' sights. They further stated that they want this particular matter to be under their control on behalf of their children.

Other parents, on the other hand, declared that such restriction will stigmatize and marginalize the LGBTQ+ community.

The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish

There were no changes on the library policy towards LGBTQ+ themed books. However, it once again awakened a debate that has been happening nationwide even before.

The debate between parents and caregiver centered on decency, respect, and values. The parents that were asking for restriction of the LGBTQ+ themed books questioned the library for their selection for kids' summer reading, which included the children's book "The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish."

The book is said to be a colorful children's book with 40 pages that follows a drag queen performing her routine in front of an "awestruck audience" and that encourages kids to "boldly be exactly who they are."

It can be recalled that this book had been controversial months ago when a mom who was at Lincolnwood library with her twins during the summer objected to the book on shelf display, confronted the library staff about its appropriateness for kids, and eventually filed a formal challenge to the book on September 2.

According to The Chicago Tribune, this started a heated argument and an "escalating battle" over materials dealing with gender and sexuality in public institutions between parents, educators, politicians and activists.

Library declines removal of book on the children's shelf

A parent from Monday night's meeting, Cary Godstein, stated that parents were not expecting materials showing "graphic nudity" would be read to their kids without their consent.

Pamela Lefkowitz, another parent, shared that books with LGBTQ+ themes should be taken away from the children's section and be placed in the adult's section instead, to which another mother, Tara Donnelly, disagreed, expressing that placing these books on restricted shelves will stigmatize both patron and book.

Another Lincolnwood resident, Susan Ginsburg, stated that she respects parents who do not prefer their kids to read a certain book as that is their decision. However, she emphasized that these parents do not have the right to thrust their "short-sighted beliefs" on other parents' children.

Jen Mierisch defended the book explaining that he read the entire book and "searched it cover-to-cover," and did not found anything sexual, obscene or raunchy in it. He further declared that people like drag queens and those part of the LGBTQ+ community have the right to exist, be themselves and have books about them.

A parent, Rahila Siddiqui, stated, "I'm not here to ask for a ban on any books, I'm here to fight for my right to choose when my elementary school children should be exposed to complicated topics like drag queens."

Library officials decided and insisted to not remove the said book from the children's department following a review on the book. The library director spoke to ABC7 and shared that the action would constitute censorship, and it is their goal to give respect to every individual in the community and to the books they prefer to read.