Facts: SD and the libraries
Other occasions when the Sweden Democrats got involved in the library’s operations:
The Sweden Democrats considered that pride flags in the room were political propaganda and since the early voting was carried out in the library, LGBT symbols had to be taken down.
In the municipality that has become known for the Sweden Democrats’ tangible measures in cultural activities, the party has stopped a new library plan. The new one stated, among other things, that school libraries do not need to purchase books in other languages. The library director was also bought out and Sölvesborg closed its libraries during the pandemic.
The author Moa-Lina Olbers Croall would visit the library to talk about norm-breaking children’s and youth literature from an LGBT perspective. SD in Täby tried to stop the program item through a letter to the culture and leisure committee.
A formulation about which groups are welcome to the library became the subject of heated debate in Vellinge. The officials had written that the libraries should be a place “where everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, functional variations, beliefs, cross-gender expression, sexuality and class” can meet. The Sweden Democrats demanded that the wording be replaced by the word “all”.
In a post on Facebook, the library in Svalöv talked about its LGBTQ certification. By order of the political leadership, where the Sweden Democrats are the largest party, the post was removed.
“It is becoming increasingly common for politicians to get involved in activities in this way,” says Karin Linder, secretary general of the Swedish Library Association.
Drag Story Hour is a concept that was started in San Francisco in 2015. The phenomenon came to Sweden in 2017, but it is only now that the event has started to arouse such outrage that several library operations have had to receive threats.
— There is a certain party that crosses the line when it comes to the principle of arm’s length distance, and that is the Sweden Democrats. The fact that you go to the Drag Story Hour has also increased after the election, says Karin Linder.
Brought in guards
When the library in Olofström was threatened in mid-October, they chose to hold a storytime with the drag show artists digitally, while Malmö city library later brought in security guards to be able to carry out the event in a safe manner.
— There has been a storm around this. It is serious for the library staff, who receive various types of unpleasant e-mails and phone calls, and in Malmö a library manager was threatened with death, says Maia Dahlberg (S), chairman of the culture and leisure committee in Kalmar, whose library is next in line to organize Drag Story Hour .
In mid-October, SD member Jonathan Sager asked the city council in Kalmar if they intended to act to cancel the “disgusting” event. Dahlberg replied that the board, which consists of the Social Democrats, the Center Party and the Left Party, stands behind the library.
— There is only one reason why one would cancel and that is that there is such a serious threat that one cannot carry out the program item. That I, as a politician, would step in and remove an event organized by the library staff is neither possible nor desirable.
Carry out the story time
Kalmar’s city library tells TT that it intends to carry out the story time as planned at the end of November and that no “real threats” have been directed against the activity so far.
Jonathan Sager says he feels he has a majority with him in the opposition.
— In the beginning, some people didn’t think it was that dangerous. But the more attention it has received, the more people throughout Sweden see that it is not only distasteful but also disgusting. I was very surprised that the Social Democrats aimed for the event to be carried out.
TT: How do you know that the majority thinks like you? What support do you have for that view?
— There has certainly been criticism, but it has been, for example, Jonas Gardell, who wrote in Expressen and has no connection to Kalmar. Many people got in touch and said that they think it is wrong and should not be implemented. There are many people out in town who have stopped me and said they support me, only three people have called me a transphobe.
Maia Dahlberg does not agree that most people are against story time.
— There is not much to say about that way of reasoning. I could say the same thing, that I feel that I have people on my side. It gets very silly.
The story time is fully booked
She states that the story time has been fully booked for a long time and that the municipality is conducting a dialogue with the person in charge of security.
— I just want the event to be carried out peacefully and have no ambition to give this type of opinion even more space.
Karin Linder at the Swedish Library Association says that the libraries are hard at work right now, which in the long run can lead to them not daring to organize events that could cause an uproar.
— This in particular feels orchestrated because it appears in several places at the same time. I think we’re going to have to think more about what happens with subsequent threats. There are certainly those who will think twice if it is worth exposing their staff to threats and, as in Malmö, even death threats.