Campbell County Public Library Board Rejects Two More Book Challenges | Regional News

GILLETTE — Two more book challenges were rejected by the Campbell County Public Library Board Monday night.
Kevin Bennett had taken issue with the books because he believed they pushed the gay agenda on young children and exposed teenagers to alternative sexual practices.
“Be Amazing,” written by drag kid Desmond is Amazing, guides young readers through the history of the LGBTQ community.
“He became what he is because he was exposed to sexual propaganda,” Bennett said, adding that the author is nothing more than “a mascot used by the gay community to advance the gay agenda”.
Bennett said the book “openly advocates human trafficking, if you have the wisdom to do a quick query on a search engine. And you brought it to our library with our tax dollars.
“This book, and the stacking of the bridge that we have seen consistently over the past year, represent damaging direct attacks from a variety of agendas on Christian values and the parents who uphold them,” he said. he declares.
The book “tacitly encourages human trafficking,” Bennett said, and through the refusal of the library’s board and staff to acknowledge it, “that tacit encouragement extends to them as well.”
“You might as well play with the kids themselves,” he said. ” I do not like it. This is a proxy application of child abuse.
Bennett referenced a YouTube video from a few years ago where Desmond appears to be pretending to snort ketamine with Michael Alig, a club promoter and convicted felon who died in 2020.
Board member Miranda Finn said “much” of Bennett’s challenge focuses more on the personal conduct of the author and his parents, and “it doesn’t seem to touch enough on the actual content. of the book”.
“The content of the book calls a prostitution ring something good for gay rights,” Bennett said, referring to a section about the Stonewall Inn, which is considered the birthplace of the gay rights movement. “The only way to understand this is to put it into the context of what was in the book.”
Board member Mandy Steward said that most children today have access to the Internet without parental supervision, and she fears that after reading this book they will search for Desmond is Amazing and come across this information.
She was the only council member who voted to uphold Bennett’s appeal, with the other three council members voting to keep him in the children’s section.
The second challenge was “Sex Plus: Learn, Love and Enjoy Your Body,” by YouTuber Laci Green, has 16 chapters on a range of topics, from body image to birth control to masturbation to consent to sex. “sexploring”.
The book is in the teen section of the library.
“It’s not about gay or straight,” Bennett said. “It’s about introducing sexuality to minors who can’t understand it yet.”
He said it all starts with the title, which “talks about what’s not inherent in sex,” and the cover, which features a peach emoji.
In text messages, this emoji is more commonly used to symbolize an ass.
“This book on its cover openly advocates sodomy using the familiar pictography of the generation it seeks to communicate with,” he said. “It’s grooming propaganda. It is shameful.
By then, Bennett had spoken for at least 35 minutes, and library board president Charlie Anderson asked how much longer he was going. Bennett said he would keep going until he was done.
“Can you be done in 5 minutes?” Finn asked.
“Uh, no, I’m gonna finish this unless I’m dragged out of here. I’m gonna finish this unless I’m dragged. I have a legal right,” he said.
“We have the right to limit you how long you can keep us all here,” board member Nancy Stovall said.
“You have the right not to be in the rules?” Bennett asked.
“We’ve adopted a rule that gives you 10 minutes,” Anderson said.
“I appealed for this before you passed the rule,” Bennett replied.
Anderson said Bennett would have five more minutes and then the board would vote.
Bennett read on, and he said that anyone who masturbates on a regular basis has a problem, and just because society says it’s OK doesn’t mean it’s OK.
“The Germans decided that as a society the Jews were not persons. It doesn’t change the fact that Jews were people and are people,” he said. “You can decide as a society that masturbation is healthy, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s evil and gross.”
At the end of the 5 minutes, the council asked Bennett to stop.
“We have a few questions for you,” Anderson said.
“I have half a page left and I’m going to read it,” Bennett said.
At that point the mic was muted, so he continued to play, but at a much louder volume than before. He explained how the book is about role playing, scratching, whipping and biting.