To celebrate the Pride month of June, libraries across America have created LGBT+ themed displays. One organisation that wants them removed is CatholicVote, which has launched a "Hide the Pride" campaign

Books aimed at young readers that champion diversity are increasing year on year, and the trend is proving a source of considerable concern to homophobes.

This has sparked a backlash against the trend which has seen an increasing number of mainly faith-based organisations calling for the removal of LGBT+-themed publications.

Last November the American Library Association (ALA) reported an “unprecedented rise in attempts to ban books in libraries.”

ALA director Deborah Caldwell-Stone said:

It’s a volume of challenges I’ve never seen in my time at the ALA – the last 20 years. Social media is amplifying local challenges and they’re going viral, but we’ve also been observing a number of organisations activating local members to go to school board meetings and challenge books.

We’re seeing what appears to be a campaign to remove books, particularly books dealing with LGBTQIA themes and books dealing with racism.

Caldwell-Stone pointed to conservative grassroots organisations such as Heritage Action and the Heritage Foundation, which she said were driving the attempts to censor materials dealing with racism and Black American history, as well as materials “they deem to be inappropriate for minors, which seems to encompass the entire canon of books dealing with LGBTQIA themes”.

Now its reported that a “Hide the Pride” campaign has been launched to coincide with Pride Month by CatholicVote.

CV claims it:

Is answering the recent cries of concerned parents throughout the country.

The bigots who masterminded the campaign said:

It’s June! Do you see rainbow-trans-BLM flags everywhere? Including in your public, taxpayer-funded spaces? We do. And we are meeting the challenge head-on.

CV also claims that:

A growing number of American moms and dads have sent a powerful message in recent polls: they do not want their children exposed to sexual and “trans” content as part of their education. 

CVs “Hide the Pride” parental resource page includes step-by-step instructions and tips for parents who want to send that message to their local library board.

‘Check out books and don’t return them’

It suggests that members of the public should go to libraries featuring Pride Month displays and simply check out all those books at the front desk. Participants should take a friend or two along so multiple library cards can be used.

Having emptied the children’s Pride display:

Parents can go home and place the Pride books on a shelf out of reach of children.

It adds:

To protect our children and the community, we have checked out the books in the pride display. We plan to keep these books checked out until the library agrees to remove the inappropriate content from the shelves. Flags, signs, and book displays based on how adults experience sexual attraction and gender identity have no place in an open and public space for children.