How 'Gender Queer' Incited Republicans In A Michigan Town

The Patmos Library in Jamestown, Michigan, was Chavala Ymker’s refuge for years. Last year, residents of Jamestown, a township made up of nearly 10,000 people, voted to defund the public library following a push from conservatives to remove the book “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe from shelves. Conservatives’ claims about the library having books with LGBTQ themes picked up steam, and some residents erected signs in their yards about how the tax money was going to be used to “groom” kids. Rachel Cain, a member of Inclusive Ottawa County who lives in Jamestown, said she has been invited to join new groups aimed at saving the library and that she’s hopeful that conservatives “are losing their stronghold.” But there is still a tough battle to fight, and three people who are sympathetic to the right-wing arguments about removing books just started terms on the library board this month. The debate is about much more than removing a book from shelves: The Patmos Library said it even moved “Gender Queer” behind the counter after initial complaints.