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害羞草研究所� questions is part of Meissner害羞草研究所檚 day-to-day work, and serving the community is one of her favorite parts of the job.

But when the man got close enough, 害羞草研究所渉e took a swing at me and tried to punch me in the head,害羞草研究所� said Meissner, a transgender woman. 害羞草研究所淚 blocked it and he started yelling slurs and suggesting that he was going to come back and kill me.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淲hen we see attacks on those books, we have to understand that those are attacks on those kinds of people as well,害羞草研究所� said Emily Drabinski, who is the president of the American Library Association and is gay. 害羞草研究所淭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.害羞草研究所�

The ALA said it documented the highest-ever number of titles targeted for censorship in 2023 in more than 20 years of tracking 害羞草研究所� 4,240. That total surpassed 2022害羞草研究所檚 previous record by 65%, with Maia Kobabe害羞草研究所檚 coming-of-age story 害羞草研究所淕ender Queer害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 home state of Idaho. Lawmakers there passed legislation that empowers local prosecutors to bring charges against public and school libraries if they don害羞草研究所檛 keep 害羞草研究所渉armful害羞草研究所� materials away from children. The new law, signed by Idaho Gov. Brad Little in April, will go into effect on July 1.

害羞草研究所淚 do think that a lot of that political speech around it does make things more dangerous and worse for me,害羞草研究所� Meissner said. 害羞草研究所淚t is so much politicking and getting the general public riled up.害羞草研究所�

Meissner害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淎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,害羞草研究所� she told The Associated Press, describing how she waits to make eye contact with a patron 害羞草研究所渁nd then, based on what I see when they look at me, that害羞草研究所檒l tell me whether or not I should just be on edge, be wary.害羞草研究所�

Florida-based conservative nonprofit Moms for Liberty, which describes itself as a parental rights organization and refers to its members as 害羞草研究所渏oyful warriors,害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所� which she says has more than 300 chapters in 48 states and more than 130,000 active members 害羞草研究所� is not anti-LGBTQ+, although Justice herself told the AP she thinks that the Q in the acronym, which stands for queer or questioning, 害羞草研究所渘eeds to go into the trash bin.害羞草研究所� And according to the ALA害羞草研究所檚 Office for Intellectual Freedom, about 38% of book challenges that 害羞草研究所渄irectly originated害羞草研究所� from Moms for Liberty activity have LGBTQ+ themes.

Justice said Moms for Liberty challenges books like Gender Queer 害羞草研究所� a graphic novel about a young person害羞草研究所檚 struggle with gender identity that contains illustrations of sexual contact, masturbation and a sex toy 害羞草研究所� because they view the material as sexually explicit, not because they cover LGBTQ+ topics.

害羞草研究所淭he least interesting thing about a child should be their sexual orientation,害羞草研究所� Justice said. 害羞草研究所淲hy are we flooding them with sexual content?害羞草研究所�

Despite the thousands of petitions to censor books about gender and sex, legal standards for deeming materials obscene or harmful to minors 害羞草研究所� and therefore not protected speech under the First Amendment 害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淭he mere fact that something is describing sex, describing nudity, even depicting those things, is not enough to make it qualify as obscenity,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檌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.

害羞草研究所淧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,害羞草研究所� Fleming said.

Chaz Carey, a children害羞草研究所檚 librarian in Worthington, Ohio, knows firsthand how powerful books can be. Alison Bechdel害羞草研究所檚 2006 graphic memoir 害羞草研究所淔un Home,害羞草研究所� in which the author comes to grips with her sexual orientation, changed Carey害羞草研究所檚 life as a teenager.

害羞草研究所淚 felt seen. It was like my whole body just let out a breath,害羞草研究所� said Carey, who is queer and uses they/them pronouns. 害羞草研究所淚t is just so important that these books remain on shelves. They save lives.害羞草研究所�

Carey says being a children害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淭he political environment is just an extra kind of weight as we navigate our lives and our places in our community,害羞草研究所� said Carey, who chairs ALA害羞草研究所檚 Rainbow Roundtable, which aims to serve the information needs of LGBTQ+ people.

For Carey, what helps is 害羞草研究所渢aking some time to feel sad, but then choosing queer joy and pride.害羞草研究所�

Claire Savage, The Associated Press