Overflow Crowd Forces West Bend 'Gay' Books Meeting Postponed
By By Lauren Leamanczyk
WEST BEND - An overflow crowd forced the Library Board to cancel it's meeting Tuesday night. The board was set to debate whether certain books that deal with teen homosexuality.
More than 300 people packed the West Bend Common Council chambers. The crowd exceeded capacity according to fire code.
Ginny Maziarka is spearheading the effort to have some books removed from the library. She and other parents believe two books in particular, "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" and "The Geography Club", are inappropriate for the young adult literature section. Both books deal with teenage hetero and homsexuality.
Maziarka also takes issue with several other books that deal with homosexuality. “These books, all of them, are pro-homosexual books. There aren’t any books for kids who are maybe looking to steer away from the lifestyle or are questioning how to get out of the lifestyle,” she said.
Many came to the library board meeting to dispute that argument. Among them was Shelley Karraker, an LGTB teenager. “It’s not a life decision that you can make. You can’t pick up a book and read it and say I’m going to be a lesbian today. It has to come from your heart," she said.
Others argued against any form of censorship.
The library board will reschedule the meeting and hold it in a larger space so everyone can attend.
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