Pride Month Children's Library Event Canceled After Proud Boys Disruption
newsweek.comPride Month children's storytime at an Indiana library was canceled after members of the Proud Boys disrupted the event.Several members of the Michiana Proud Boys, a branch of the right-wing group, entered the St.
Joseph County Public Library's Virginia M. Tutt Branch and berated staff for allegedly pushing sexuality onto children on Monday, according to the South Bend Tribune.A YouTube video, seen by Newsweek, was uploaded the following day that showed the Proud Boys confronting with staff about the LGBTQ+ books that were going to be read to children.In the 43-minute clip, the Proud Boys members said staff were "grooming" children's minds and opening them up to "perversion." In a bid to publicize the disruption, one of the members could be seen holding the local Proud Boys' flag.At one point in the video, a mother also got involved in the confrontation and criticized the hosts over the event.
During the course of the clip, Proud Boys members could be seen praising one another after the parent became involved.Those who had planned to host the Rainbow Storytime said at multiple times during the event that it was "not about sex."Library security and police officers were later seen at the site speaking with the mother and Proud Boys.According to the South Bend Tribune, the event was postponed after many of the families left the library.Marissa Gebhard, a communications manager for the local libraries told the outlet: "It is a shock and we are very disappointed an event celebrating LGBTQ+ communities was disrupted.
