Iowa activist burns kids’ library books

ORANGE CITY, Iowa — Library officials in northwest Iowa are deciding how to respond after a religious activist burned four children’s books that deal with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues.

Orange City Library Director Amanda Vazquez told the Sioux City Journal that officials aren’t sure if they’ll replace the destroyed books.

“We’re exploring our options at this point,” she said.

Paul Dorr, director of religious group Rescue the Perishing, released a video in which he denounced the library for having the books and threw them in a burning barrel. The video was made Oct. 19, the first day of the city’s gay pride festival.

Dorr burned David Levithan’s Two Boys Kissing, Suzanne and Max Lang’s Families, Families, Families, Gayle E.

Pitman’s This Day in June and Christine Baldacchino’s Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress.

The library will follow official policy regarding stolen or lost books, Vazquez said.

The library sends an itemized bill of costs and materials once a book has been overdue for 28 days. A certified letter with an itemized bill and a “notification of criminal action” is sent after 60 days. The library director can contact law enforcement or the county attorney about a book theft if the borrower doesn’t respond.

Dorr previously told the newspaper that he doesn’t plan to replace or pay for the books.