In their Welcoming City Initiative, the City of Nashua claims to be a place “where all people, including immigrant newcomers, are welcomed, accepted, and integrated.”
From what I have observed, the Nashua Public Library is not welcoming to religious families, including religious immigrants, and I called this out in my comments at a recent meeting of the Nashua Library Trustees.
Related: Picture Books at Nashua Library Promote Dangerous Gender Ideology to Young Children
You have likely heard the accounts about college students demanding a “safe space” to go to when something upsetting happens on campus but we all know that small children really do need safe spaces where their parents can bring them to get away from the terrible things going on in the world. The children’s room at the Nashua Library has been a refuge for families in Nashua for decades, including my family.
The library is a place for parents to bring their children for wholesome time spent reading books and playing, sheltered from the cares of the world. Sadly, when I went into the children’s room after the June trustees’ meeting I found that the refuge of the children’s room had been shattered.
I found a display of books celebrating Pride prominently placed so everyone coming into the children’s room could not miss it. It featured books containing adult themes including one celebrating Stonewall and glorifying protesters rioting and fighting police, another celebrating drag queens, a book celebrating a transvestite who participated in the Stonewall riots, and another teaching kids about the bewildering array of pronouns.
Little kids are too young to deal with these adult issues and parents don’t expect to have to confront this stuff when they come to the library. How many parents have stopped bringing their kids to the library because of displays like this?
In the teen room I observed a library staff member working on a display of books on the floor and her display included the book “The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School,” which is targeted to children of Latin America immigrants. Catholicism is central to the lives of immigrants from poverty-stricken Latin American countries. It is sad that their teens are being encouraged by library staff to read a book that mocks their faith.
The library is no longer a welcoming space for religious families. It gives the appearance of being hostile to religion. Many immigrants from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean have a strong, traditional Christian faith. These immigrant families who value education and want their kids to have a better life than they did don’t have a safe space to bring their kids to spend time with books. That is tragic.
This is a scene from the book “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish” by Lil Miss Hot Mess which was prominently displayed in the Nashua Library Children’s Room in June.
