Staff at Cork library abused over LGBT+ reading material
Cork City Council confirmed that it has reported to gardaí a number of recent incidents at the Grand Parade library involving people opposed to the display of the material. Picture: Denis Minihane.
Cork's public library network has no plans to remove LGBT+ reading material despite staff at its central library being subjected to intimidation and horrific verbal abuse.
Cork City Council confirmed that it has reported to gardaí a number of recent incidents at the Grand Parade library involving people opposed to the display of the material.
“Libraries are centres of learning at the heart of communities and have no role as censors. There are no plans to remove material from the library,” said a spokesperson.
A number of library staff have been subjected to verbal abuse and “paedophile slurs” by people who have entered the building in recent weeks to object to the display of LGBT+ reading material.
In one incident in recent days, an individual grabbed a copy of Juno Dawson’s book, , and ripped it up.
In a statement to the , a council spokesperson said staff at its central library have, like staff at a number of libraries across the country, “been subjected to campaigning from groups who object to LGBT+ reading lists which are available to young adults”.
“Cork City Council has been to the fore nationally when it comes to social inclusion and the diversity and inclusion agenda,” the spokesperson said.
“The city’s newly acquired Rainbow City Status, a first among local authorities in Ireland, is one of many initiatives it has led on in terms of LGBT+ community recognition and rights within our city.
“Cork City Libraries fully recognise the right to peaceful protest and has informed An Garda Síochána of recent activity.”
The issue also raised by Labour councillor John Maher at Monday’s city council meeting, who said it was important to send a message of solidarity to library staff.
“We have seen staff being intimidated, videoed against their will, and being called horrible things,” he said.
“It is important that we send out the message that libraries are safe, are centres of learning, are places of inclusion and diversity, and that we reinforce to our staff that we are standing with them."
Some of those involved in this intimidation have also been visiting pharmacies distributing “covid vaccine fraud” material, said Mr Maher.
He urged those involved to stop their "bullyboy tactics", put their names on an election poster, and engage in politics.
Cork is Ireland’s only member of the Rainbow Cities Network, a global LGBT+ policy group founded in 2012. Cork City Libraries is represented on an LGBT+ interagency group that steers the city’s involvement in the RCN.
The interagency group helped install two rainbow pedestrian crossings on St Patrick’s Street and last year, the rainbow flag was raised over the city library for the first time.
In January, the RCN conference was hosted in Cork with events including key policy workshops in which Cork City Libraries took part.
The goal of these workshops was to develop a ‘best practice’ guide for all member cities by 2024.
A report to councillors on Monday night said Cork City Libraries is in a unique position in Ireland to have had direct involvement in developing important LGBT+ policy documents for municipal authorities worldwide.
“The libraries have a key role in combating anti-LGBT+ hate, in policy-making, enabling publications, providing collections relevant to the community, providing safe spaces and partaking in Pride and Awareness Week, and including LGBT+ writers and literature annually in the Cork World Book Festival,” states the report.
“To raise public awareness of the RCN conference, each branch of Cork City Libraries set up LGBT+ book and information leaflet displays for both young adult and adult readers.
“Content of these displays was derived from the Healthy Ireland LGBT+ reading list and lists previously collated by library staff.”
