Republican candidate burns LGBTQ books in video. Did they come from Springfield library?

A video of a Missouri Republican running for state office using a flamethrower to burn LGBTQ-related books is circulating on social media this week. Whether the books are from the Springfield-Greene County Library is up for debate.

Missouri Secretary of State candidate Valentina Gomez posted videos to Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday showing her using a flamethrower to burn at least two LGBTQ-related books outside. The News-Leader contacted Gomez's campaign team but was unsuccessful in securing a response.

Before igniting the books, Gomez says to the camera: "This is what I will do to the grooming books when I become secretary of state." She concludes the video by stating, "These books come from a Missouri public library. When I'm in office they will burn."

Gomez attended an event at the Springfield-Greene County Library Center on Friday, where she was photographed holding copies of the books she burned in the video. There speculation on social media that the books came from the local district; Gomez does not specify which library they are from and the library spine labels are illegible in the video.

When asked Wednesday if the books were checked out from a Springfield library, the Springfield-Greene County Library District declined to comment.

The books in Gomez's video are "Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens" by Kathy Belgs and Marke Bieschke, and “Naked: Not Your Average Sex Encyclopedia” by Myriam Daguzan Bernier. According to the Springfield-Greene County Library online catalog, copies of each book were still available for check out Wednesday.

Gomez was seen holding copies of the two titles, in addition to "It's Totally Normal!: An LGBTQIA+ Guide to Puberty, Sex, and Gender" by Monica Gupta Mehta and Asha Lily Mehta, during the Brave Books Story Hour at The Library Center on Friday afternoon. "It's Totally Normal!" also was available for check out from the library district on Wednesday, per the online catalog.

Female athletes Bethany Hamilton and Riley Gaines — both know for their public opposition to transgender athletes participating in women's sports — attended the Friday story hour in Springfield to read their books, "Surfing Past Fear" and "Happy No Snakes Day." Both books are published by BRAVE Books, a Christian and Conservative children's book publisher that was established in 2021.

The story hour was held in one of the meeting rooms at The Library Center, in which more than 100 people attended. Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft also attended the story hour.

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Local LGBTQ+ activists, led by Heather and Brittany Dyer, attended the event, wearing LGBTQ-inclusive clothing. Protesters sat quietly in the meeting room during the story hour.

Discussion on social media has also circulated whether the story hour violated the Springfield-Greene County Library Meeting Room Policy. When asked if the story hour violated the library district's meeting room policy, the Springfield-Greene County Library also declined comment.

According to the meeting room policy, available on the library district website, the library district provides meeting rooms for use by "federal, state, country or city agencies, Greene County nonprofit organizations and community organizations whose primary membership includes residents of Greene County."

Permission to use a meeting room at one of the library branches does not constitute or imply endorsement or sponsorship, the policy states, and meeting room users must "fully comply with all applicable provisions of law."

Meeting room users are also not allowed to solicit or sell products or services not directly connected with the library district. A BRAVE Books table was set up outside the meeting room during the story hour where "Surfing Past Fear" and "Happy No Snakes Day" were available for attendees.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri secretary of state candidate sets LGBTQ books on fire in video