An Idaho library has banned 6 books it deemed 'harmful' to children, including several about LGBTQ+ issues

• An Idaho library removed six books it says are "harmful" to children, in accordance with state law.
• Among the books removed was "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe, and other books with LGBTQ+ themes.

A public library in Idaho removed six books from its collection that it deemed "harmful" to children. Several of the banned books were about LGBTQ+ issues.

The Ada Community Library near Boise, Idaho said it removed the books last month after the library's board reviewed the current Idaho code, which bans "disseminating material harmful to minors," according to the Idaho Statesman.

"A series of books in the collection were read by trustees and reviewed under existing Idaho code to determine whether they contained material that fell within the current Idaho statutes' definition of what is 'harmful to minors,'" the library said in a statement. "Where it seemed so, the board voted to remove the books from our collection."

According to the Statesman, disseminating harmful materials to minors in Idaho is a misdemeanor that carries one year in jail or a $1,000 fine, but librarians are right now exempt from that law.

The Idaho state legislature passed a law earlier this year that would allow parents to sue schools and public libraries that allow minors to obtain books deemed as "harmful." But Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, vetoed the bill on April 5.

In a letter of explanation to lawmakers, Little said that the legislation made "sweeping, blanket assumptions" and would force "one interpretation" onto all patrons of the library, according to The Spokesman-Review, a local newspaper in nearby Spokane, Washington.

Still, the Ada Community Library board decided to proactively remove the six books from its collection. The books included: Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe, "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison, "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M Johnson, "Out Of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Perez, "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, and "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson, according to the outlet.

The Ada Community Library did not immediately return Insider's request for comment Sunday.