Viral Facebook post slammed LGBTQ books at an Indiana library. Then it backfired.
INDIANAPOLIS — Last week, a Facebook post slamming the selection of LGBTQ books at the Indianapolis Public Library’s newly opened West Perry Branch made waves.
The bloggers who created the post and condemned the branch as “that wicked library” and aimed to have scores of "rainbow" materials yanked from the shelves.
Instead, their criticism has generated praise for the south side library from throughout the state, around the nation and across the pond.
"I'm speechless,” said Shelby Graam, children's librarian at the West Perry Branch. “That person's intentions were so negative and hateful, but to come in and see that we've gotten so many phone calls and donations … I'm just so proud.”
Graam, who is pansexual, and West Perry Branch Computer Assistant Dan Arndt, who is bisexual, said working together to create inclusive displays and make LGBTQ material available to visitors of all ages was a focus when the doors to West Perry first opened.
“We opened in July, and this is the first negative response that we’ve gotten, and it blew up, but then we’ve gotten overwhelming support,” Arndt said.
But more important than those responding to the viral Facebook post, Arndt said, is the reaction from kids coming into the library.
"We’ve had teens come in already who are so excited to see books on display for them. That they can say here’s a comic book for me, or a book written by an author who is also gay, or also trans, or also nonbinary and writing about my experiences," Arndt said.
“Every single one of those kids who see that and feel seen ... it’s worth 300 people who have a problem with it.”
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The viral post
The post that started it all was published the night of Aug. 14 on the Facebook page of Daniel y Maria Online. The family bloggers, who typically write in Spanish and do not identify themselves with their last name, describe their page with the message, “we are Daniel and Maria Online, we defend life and family. We talk about sexuality and finance.”
The post was written in English and includes more than 30 images of LGBTQ+ materials available to West Perry visitors. The post starts with kind words about the newly opened facility before moving to harsh criticism.
They write about how much their children love visiting the West Perry Branch and how beautiful it is. They say they started going every day, but their excitement “died quickly” when they found the LGBT materials. They said it made them “horrified and deeply upset.”
“Am I going crazy? Am I being paranoid? Do you see what I see? Are you concerned too? Please tell me this is not normal,” they write.
The couple asks "rainbow people," as they say their children refer to LGBTQ people, why they can't live their sexuality behind closed doors. "Why are you trying to impose this on my children? WHY?”
The post ends with a call to action. Daniel y Maria ask parents to contact West Perry, and other libraries that carry such materials, to request books be pulled from the shelves.
“This is a call for help,” they write. “More than ever we need to protect our children from this evil indoctrination.”
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Soon, the post went viral. As of Wednesday afternoon, it had generated more than 30,000 reactions, 29,000 comments and 25,000 shares. But most of the comments champion the efforts of West Perry.
“Thanks for pointing this out! Now I know where to go on a mini vacation and enjoy myself surrounded (by) LGBTQ books which I don’t really have here. I would absolutely love this library near me!” said one Facebook user.
“I'm gonna call this library and tell them they're doing an amazing job,” said another.
Daniel y Maria have since limited who can comment on the post as some comments began to take aim at them.
“You’re not being paranoid, you’re being discriminatory and homophobic,” one person wrote.
IndyStar, a part of the Paste BN Network, has reached out to Daniel y Maria by email and Facebook. When contacted via Facebook message, IndyStar received an auto reply in Spanish that said they could not reply to every message due to the number of inquiries received.
The response
The calls the bloggers asked for came quickly too, according to library staff. But it was to add more books to the shelves, not pull them down.
Peggy Wehr, manager of the West Perry Branch, said the library had received more than 130 calls from 28 states by end of day Tuesday. She also received 31 emails showing support for the library from as far away as Canada and England.
“Many of the callers explained that they had seen the Facebook post and that they just wanted to call and show their support for the library, and several just wanted to know how they could donate to the library,” Wehr said in an email to IndyStar. “A lot of the emails stated that they wished that they had a library like ours when they were growing up.”
That sentiment hit home for Graam.
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"Growing up, obviously I was a questioning teen. I had no idea what I was going through, and at my library I found a book about two friends who were girls and they ended up falling in love," she said. "But I was so embarrassed and just didn't know if I was supposed be reading this that I would hide it in my library because I was scared to check it out. And for the longest time I kept that part of myself hidden."
Graam said once she started working for the library, she made it a priority to create safe spaces for teens and children who are questioning themselves like she did.
"I want them to be able to see this and say this is OK. This is normal. This is who I am," she said. "I wish I had that when I was growing up.”
Arndt added that the support doesn't stop at phone calls and emails. Many people have contacted the library to make donations in an effort to bolster the selection of LGBTQ books and support local programming. Exact figures on the donations were not available Wednesday.
"It means a lot to have people care so much. People from in the community have called and expressed with tears in their eyes how much it means to them," he said. "And it means a lot to me as a person knowing there's so much love for me, for people like me, for the people I love all over world. It's great."
Follow Justin L. Mack on Twitter: @justinlmack.