Controversial book on 'transgender craze' no longer staff pick at Whitehorse library

A book that some people have labelled "blatantly transphobic" will remain part of the Yukon Public Libraries collection, a review committee has decided — though the library also says it will be more careful about how certain books are promoted to patrons.

The library launched a review this spring after it received complaints about Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, by American author Abigail Shrier. The book was included in a staff-picks display at the Whitehorse library with a sticker on it.

The book has courted controversy and outrage, even prior to its publication in 2020. In it, Shrier writes about a "transgender craze" and "social contagion" affecting teenagers in particular, and blames internet content for "enlisting" young girls into "a lifetime of hormone dependency and disfiguring surgeries." 

Melissa Yu Schott, director of Yukon Public Libraries, said the complaints about the book and the "staff pick" sticker prompted a review committee to take a closer look.

The committee, consisting of Yu Schott and two library board members, says it decided not to censor the book and keep it in the library collection. The decision was based on the library's collection development policy, and the Canadian Federation of Libraries' statement on intellectual freedoms.

The library's collection development policy states that material will be excluded from the library collection if it "violates the Criminal Code of Canada definitions of 'obscene material', 'hate propaganda' or 'seditious material.'"

"Libraries aren't the arbiters of hate speech, that's for the courts to decide," Yu Schott said.

A 'complicating factor'

Yu Schott acknowledges, however, that the "staff pick" sticker on the book was a "complicating factor." She said those stickers allow library staff members to highlight books in the collection that might be of interest to patrons.

"Previous to this we've had, you know, thousands of staff picks without incidents, but this brought up a concern from a specific group within our community," she said.

"I can say unequivocally that there was no intention of harm, in terms of that pick being selected. At the same time we did hear about the fear and the concern from the community."

The library has now removed the promotional sticker from Irreversible Damage. Yu Schott also says the library will "put a bit more rigour" around the process for selecting staff picks, to ensure promoted books reflect the values of the library and the Yukon government.

"So it's this balance between freedom of expression, as well as ensuring that we are being inclusive and welcoming to everybody, and to all community groups," Yu Schott said.

"Those pieces were in place, but they weren't as explicit … and so we've done that within the guidelines."

Still, Yu Schott said the library promotes free speech and won't censor the books chosen by staff — rather, she said, there will be a bit more effort to highlight lesser-known books.

"We can't guarantee that something like this will never happen again. You know, we'll try our best and if something like this happens, we'll address it immediately. But because of the public nature of libraries, you know, we want to be realistic about it too." 

Lane Tredger, Yukon's first openly non-binary MLA, was among those who spoke out about the book this spring. Tredger described the book as "very blatantly transphobic" and "transmisogynistic," and questioned the library's use of a "staff pick" sticker to promote it.

"I know libraries have lots of books for lots of different reasons. But for me, it rises to a different level when the library chooses to promote it," Tredger said.

Tredger would also like to see a more clear policy in place for staff picks. 

"They didn't say whether this book would still be allowed under the staff pick policy, or what kind of books would or wouldn't be allowed. So I would have liked to see some details," Tredger said.