Idaho librarian June Meissner was closing up for the day at the downtown Boise Public Library when a man approached her asking for help.

As an information services librarian, answering patrons香蕉视频直播� questions is part of Meissner香蕉视频直播檚 day-to-day work, and serving the community is one of her favorite parts of the job.

But when the man got close enough, 香蕉视频直播渉e took a swing at me and tried to punch me in the head,香蕉视频直播� said Meissner, a transgender woman. 香蕉视频直播淚 blocked it and he started yelling slurs and suggesting that he was going to come back and kill me.香蕉视频直播�

Worldwide Pride Month events are well underway to celebrate LGBTQ+ culture and rights. But it is coming at a time when people who identify as LGBTQ+ say they are facing increasing difficulties at work, ranging from being repeatedly misgendered to physically assaulted.

Gender nonconforming library workers in particular, like Meissner, are also grappling with growing calls for book bans across the U.S., with books about gender identity, sexual orientation and race topping the list of most criticized titles and making the attacks all the more personal.

香蕉视频直播淲hen we see attacks on those books, we have to understand that those are attacks on those kinds of people as well,香蕉视频直播� said Emily Drabinski, who is the president of the American Library Association and is gay. 香蕉视频直播淭o have my identity weaponized against libraries and library workers, the people and institutions I care about the most, has made it a difficult and painful year.香蕉视频直播�

The ALA said it documented the highest-ever number of titles targeted for censorship in 2023 in more than 20 years of tracking 香蕉视频直播� 4,240. That total surpassed 2022香蕉视频直播檚 previous record by 65%, with Maia Kobabe香蕉视频直播檚 coming-of-age story 香蕉视频直播淕ender Queer香蕉视频直播� topping the list for most criticized library book for the third straight year.

Lawmakers are increasingly considering lawsuits, fines, and even imprisonment for distributing books some regard as inappropriate, including in Meissner香蕉视频直播檚 home state of Idaho. Lawmakers there passed legislation that empowers local prosecutors to bring charges against public and school libraries if they don香蕉视频直播檛 keep 香蕉视频直播渉armful香蕉视频直播� materials away from children. The new law, signed by Idaho Gov. Brad Little in April, will go into effect on July 1.

香蕉视频直播淚 do think that a lot of that political speech around it does make things more dangerous and worse for me,香蕉视频直播� Meissner said. 香蕉视频直播淚t is so much politicking and getting the general public riled up.香蕉视频直播�

Meissner香蕉视频直播檚 own attacker was arrested and convicted, and she says that while the vast majority of her interactions at work are positive, she still struggles to let her guard down and is constantly assessing whether a situation could turn unsafe.

香蕉视频直播淎s somebody who is working face to face with the public and trying to help people as much as possible, that really does get in the way,香蕉视频直播� she told The Associated Press, describing how she waits to make eye contact with a patron 香蕉视频直播渁nd then, based on what I see when they look at me, that香蕉视频直播檒l tell me whether or not I should just be on edge, be wary.香蕉视频直播�

Florida-based conservative nonprofit Moms for Liberty, which describes itself as a parental rights organization and refers to its members as 香蕉视频直播渏oyful warriors,香蕉视频直播� has been at the forefront of a nationwide push to remove books that deal with race and gender identity.

But co-founder Tiffany Justice says the organization 香蕉视频直播� which she says has more than 300 chapters in 48 states and more than 130,000 active members 香蕉视频直播� is not anti-LGBTQ+, although Justice herself told the AP she thinks that the Q in the acronym, which stands for queer or questioning, 香蕉视频直播渘eeds to go into the trash bin.香蕉视频直播� And according to the ALA香蕉视频直播檚 Office for Intellectual Freedom, about 38% of book challenges that 香蕉视频直播渄irectly originated香蕉视频直播� from Moms for Liberty activity have LGBTQ+ themes.

Justice said Moms for Liberty challenges books like Gender Queer 香蕉视频直播� a graphic novel about a young person香蕉视频直播檚 struggle with gender identity that contains illustrations of sexual contact, masturbation and a sex toy 香蕉视频直播� because they view the material as sexually explicit, not because they cover LGBTQ+ topics.

香蕉视频直播淭he least interesting thing about a child should be their sexual orientation,香蕉视频直播� Justice said. 香蕉视频直播淲hy are we flooding them with sexual content?香蕉视频直播�

Despite the thousands of petitions to censor books about gender and sex, legal standards for deeming materials obscene or harmful to minors 香蕉视频直播� and therefore not protected speech under the First Amendment 香蕉视频直播� are very specific and high, and courts have historically sided with libraries, according to Vera Eidelman, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union who focuses on rights to free speech in the digital age.

香蕉视频直播淭he mere fact that something is describing sex, describing nudity, even depicting those things, is not enough to make it qualify as obscenity,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Regardless, the book banning movement has in many cases successfully restricted access to materials in which LGBTQ+ youth can see themselves depicted.

As of June 1, Louisiana libraries must allow parents or guardians to decide which books their child can check out. M香蕉视频直播檌ssa Fleming, a public librarian in New Orleans who uses they/them pronouns, says the new law could make it even more dangerous for queer and trans kids, who are already at higher risk of being victims of violence, substance use, and suicide than their straight, cisgender peers. And losing access to LGBTQ+ themed books may cause kids to turn to less reliable sources like Reddit.

香蕉视频直播淧ublic libraries could be offering as many ways as possible to make it less dangerous to learn about yourself, and the law just added another challenge,香蕉视频直播� Fleming said.

Chaz Carey, a children香蕉视频直播檚 librarian in Worthington, Ohio, knows firsthand how powerful books can be. Alison Bechdel香蕉视频直播檚 2006 graphic memoir 香蕉视频直播淔un Home,香蕉视频直播� in which the author comes to grips with her sexual orientation, changed Carey香蕉视频直播檚 life as a teenager.

香蕉视频直播淚 felt seen. It was like my whole body just let out a breath,香蕉视频直播� said Carey, who is queer and uses they/them pronouns. 香蕉视频直播淚t is just so important that these books remain on shelves. They save lives.香蕉视频直播�

Carey says being a children香蕉视频直播檚 librarian is a dream job, but the rise in book challenges and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric takes a mental toll. They are frequently misgendered at work, including by some patrons who go out of their way to do so while airing their political beliefs.

香蕉视频直播淭he political environment is just an extra kind of weight as we navigate our lives and our places in our community,香蕉视频直播� said Carey, who chairs ALA香蕉视频直播檚 Rainbow Roundtable, which aims to serve the information needs of LGBTQ+ people.

For Carey, what helps is 香蕉视频直播渢aking some time to feel sad, but then choosing queer joy and pride.香蕉视频直播�

Claire Savage, The Associated Press