A Madison bookstore made good on its pledge to donate so-called "banned books" to a local non-profit that conducts various outreach, including a group for LGBTQ+-identifying "kids, youth and adults," and claimed to have donated some of the books to local school libraries.
The event was hosted by Blue Apple Books in Madison. According to the store's owner, Robin Dauma, the event supports a local non-profit group called the Center at Shenanigans, which provides resources and events for a wide spectrum of LGBTQ+ people and outreach to "Weird Kids."
"They work with teenagers in different marginalized populations," Dauma said. "They have a community resource, where people can come in for anything from suggestions for therapists, support groups, and their resource center, where they have literature, both fiction and non-fiction."
According to Dauma, the donations include every kind of illicit book, including resources for LGBTQ youth and classic literature like "The Diary of Anne Frank," which Dauma claims is also "limited in schools."
"[W]e would love to donate some banned books, so for every 10 banned books bought by our customers on October 11, we will donate one to one of our local school libraries or place them in our Main Street Little Free Library!" the event page read.
Dauma suggested that school libraries can accept donated books that they would otherwise not have in their collections.
Schools have broad authority to draw up their own library policies, including placement, collation, challenges, removal and more.
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Dauma also said this was particularly the case for students in marginalized communities.
"Unfortunately, because we're in Alabama, some of our school libraries are limited on what they can take. So, I certainly work with our local school libraries. In fact, I just donated to one of the libraries last week. But they cannot take the kinds of books that students who fall into those categories need. So, working with a place like the Center at Shenanigans, I'm able to give different kinds of books, because they're a non-profit, not a public school."
The Center at Shenanigans could not be reached for comment. However, Dauma claims the event resulted in donations of over 25 banned books. She also claimed that Shenanigans had donated or distributed the books, including some to school libraries.
"We just delivered it to them, and whatever they do with them after that, that is up to them," Dauma said.
According to its website, the Center at Shenanigans began as a comedy club in 2019.
"When our founders were looking for a place to perform and book shows, several venues were out of their price range," the site says. "Because of this, they jumped in and created a safe space for all performers and producers. From stand-up shows and improv to musicals and drag, all are welcome at Shenanigans. Our goal is to make the arts accessible to all in our area."
In addition to hosting events and providing resources ranging from a list of gender-neutral bathrooms to self-reported LGBTQ+-friendly businesses, the center also hosts a group called "Weird Kids," led by co-founder Jessica Cotton, which advertises itself as for "every kind of person with varying interests!" Weird Kids is open to "kids, teens and adults."
"Weird can be whatever you want it to be," the site reads. "It is typically what has made people feel left out or ostracized. Here those inherent traits, wild hobbies, skills, info dumping, shy folks, and neurodiverse thinkers are celebrated."
"We are 1000% LGBTQ+ friendly. We have a large number of youth that participate that have fresh names and pronouns, or are newly exploring their identify. We also have families with same sex parents."
The center also has an "LGBTQ+ closet" that provides clothes to LGBTQ+ people without judgment.
"Whether you are transitioning, looking to change your style, or preparing for a new job you are welcome to shop the closet. We want to normalize use of the closet by people at all income levels. The closet has multiple benefits for the community including keeping waste out of landfills, reducing spending at big businesses, and especially providing a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to shop with out judgement."
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