Viewpoint: South Bend's libraries mean a lot to me. Incident at Tutt branch feels "personal"
On May 6, 1933, right-wing nationalist German Student Union members sacked the Institute of Sex Research in the Tiergarten neighborhood of Berlin, Germany. They publicly burned nearly 20,000 books and journals from the Institute's library in the streets of Opernplatz. This anti-gay assault was one of the first, larger book burnings of the Nazi era.
The Institute of Sex Research was founded in 1919 and advocated for tolerance and LGBTQ rights. Its library was the world's largest collection of publications and manuscripts on homosexuality, intersexuality and transgender topics. The Nazi German attacks on "gay books" and the public study and discussion of LGBTQ topics was part of its "Action against the Un-German Spirit." As Heinrich Heine said in the 19th-century, “Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people.”
On June 27, 2022, right-wing white nationalist members of the Proud Boys disrupted a Rainbow Storytime at the Tutt branch of the St. Joseph County Public Library in South Bend. Wearing matching clothing and carrying a flag that said "Michiana Proud Boys," they harassed librarians and patrons and kept shouting that the reading would not happen.
Across the country, Rainbow Storytime has grown in popularity as it is simply about reading books to children. Geared towards children of same-sex parents, or to families supportive of LGBTQ inclusion, the readings highlight stories that show LGBTQ families or themes that mirror the lives of the children present. Sometimes, a local drag performer may do the reading in costume; sometimes the child services librarian simply reads.
I was shocked, upset and deeply saddened to hear about the menacing behavior at Rainbow Storytime. Although I no longer live in St. Joseph County, the news made its way to my city; a friend in London and a family member in Warsaw both read about it. I'm certain this is not the international news attention South Bend's residents would like. The attacks on storytime, however, are not isolated to St. Joe County and Pride Month; they occur across the country, and not only while celebrating Pride. We've seen increased demands for book bans, tearing down displays and calls for censorship at board of education meetings.
The activities of the Proud Boys don’t stop at harassing librarians and gay people. Proud Boys tried to start a riot in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Proud Boys coordinated a breach of the Capitol building and have been indicted for it by federal prosecutors. What’s next for Proud Boys of Michiana?
I've had a lifelong relationship with SJCPL. Busia took me for stamp-collecting. Mom usually picked me up after the library closed; I often took Transpo to the main branch. At the Francis branch I took out more books than the limit because they knew I needed them. While at St. Joe, I spent hours with the library staff, and, yes, I used the resources to learn about homosexuality. This library environment is one of the reasons that I became a librarian, and why, just this week, I've started my 20th year working a reference desk. South Bend's libraries mean a lot to me, so the anti-gay assault at the Tutt branch seems deeply personal.
I don’t have any suggestions, advice nor guidance on next steps and where we go from here. Rather, I seek to understand what South Bend has become and what it is becoming. My curiosity is rooted in my experiences with South Bend libraries and has amplified as I've extended beyond these roots.
What will be said about this anti-gay aggression? What will be done by your elected officials and government employees, your academics and civic leaders, your religious congregations, your neighborhoods? Are you pleased by the police response? Should we reschedule the storytime, or have it more often? Maybe ban it forevermore? Who would vote based on this issue? What would you tell Proud Boys of Michiana? Who will join PFLAG, or donate to the LGBTQ Center, or meet at the Tree House for coffee and a chat?
I have many questions and am eager to listen. I want to know about how you respond to this anti-gay assault because, after all, "Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me."
Vincent E. Slatt, a graduate of Saint Joseph High School and the University of Notre Dame, lives and works in Washington, DC.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Proud Boys' assault on St. Joseph County Library feels personal.
