atheism

Under the pretence of "child protection", a small group of middle-aged Christians entered a bookstore and began antagonizing the bewildered staff members because they sold books that were deemed "inappropriate" for children and young people. It was lost on them that they could opt not to read the books.

The content that concerned the activists weren't true-crime books detailing acts of depraved violence, or recalling gruesome tales of serial killers or of former gangsters rhapsodizing about their days in the drug trade, all within easy reach of impressionable young people. They weren't bothered, it seemed, by history books chronicling the horrifying actions of Nazi war criminals with accompanying photographs of concentration camp victims moments before their death, easily picked up by anyone walking past. These, apparently, were not inappropriate.

The titles that compelled the activists to the store that day were books that contained storylines and depictions, even casual references or subplots, of gay and trans people. Naturally, the activists called the guards (police) and no action appeared to have been taken against the bookstore, but it was clear their primary objective was to publicly humiliate the men and women behind the counter and vaguely accuse them of improper behaviour.

I have no affiliation with the store in question (Dubray Books) - I don't live in the same country - but I'd ask that if you have the time, would you email or tweet the store to show your support for them and their staff, and do this for any bookstore targeted by puritanical, mortified Christians and Muslims who seek to silence the experiences and voices of other people?

Bookshops and libraries should stock the whole spectrum of genres, including religious texts, and people should be free to read and engage with whatever books and subjects they like, and equally be free not to read those that they don't.