‘Heartstopper’ books temporarily removed from Mississippi public library

A public library in Mississippi has removed a popular LGBTQ graphic novel series from its bookshelves following resident complaints. 

The Columbia-Marion County Public Library held a meeting Wednesday where residents shared concerns over the young adult “Heartstopper” books. The books are centered on the love story between two British teenage boys. 

Following the meeting, the books were temporarily removed and will remain off the shelves until the library’s board of supervisors makes a final decision. 

Marion County resident and parent Heather McMurry, who attended Wednesday’s meeting, said the book should be “pulled from the children’s section.” 

In an interview with WDAM-TV, an NBC affiliate in Laurel, Mississippi, McMurry said she first noticed the book when she was in the library with her children. 

“I looked at the back of the book and uncovered that it had some kind of sexual situations,” she said. “It was a LGBTQ book.”

McMurry then shared with others in the community a page from the book that depicts two teenage boys kissing, WDAM-TV reported. 

“I don’t think what I saw was appropriate for our children,” a resident who saw the page said during the meeting. 

No one at the packed meeting spoke in favor of the book series, WDAM-TV reported. 

Ryda Worthy, the library director for the South Mississippi Regional Library, of which the Columbia-Marion County Public Library is a part, said the “Heartstopper” series was added to the library’s offerings following a request by a patron. 

“We did check reviews, we did check what other libraries had it, and we based it on our policies and acquired it that way,” Worthy told WDAM-TV.

Alice Oseman’s “Heartstopper” series is made up of four young-adult graphic novels. The books follow teens Nick and Charlie as they navigate the ups and downs of first love, friendships, coming out and mental health. The books were adapted into a wildly popular Netflix series, which is now in its second season. 

The Columbia-Marion County Public Library’s temporary removal of the “Heartstopper” series is part of a nationwide increase in book challenges and censorship, particularly when it comes to titles with LGBTQ themes. 

The American Library Association’s annual book censorship report found that there had been 1,269 challenges made against more than 2,500 books in 2022, the most attempted bans since the association began tracking such efforts in 2001. Among the 13 books listed as the “Most Challenged Books” by the association, seven titles, including three of the top four, faced challenges because of their LGBTQ content.