Associated Press, May 21, 1998

Gay-book protest puts more copies on shelf

WICHITA FALLS - Instead of ridding public library shelves of "Heather Has Two Mommies" and "Daddy's Roommate," a Baptist minister's protest has put more copies in circulation.

Robert Jeffress, pastor of the 8,400-member First Baptist Church, was shocked when he learned the Wichita Falls library was lending the books about children with homosexual parents.

When a church member checked out the books and brought them to Jeffress, he wrote a check for $54 to the library and vowed never to return them.

But so many people wanted to read the books after publicity in the Wichita Falls Times Record News that library administrator Linda Hughes is having to apply library guidelines designed to limit how long patrons have to wait.

The policy calls for getting more copies when six or more people are waiting for a book.

"We have 10 holds on each one of these books," Hughes said.

Sympathetic book lovers had donated 15 copies by Thursday morning, Hughes said "I've been getting them in the mail and through the drop box," she said. "Most of them are brand-new."

Jeffress said he finds no irony in the situation and defends his decision to object to materials originally bought with public money.

"We wanted to highlight the problem in our community," Jeffress said. "I really hope people will look at the book and see what their tax dollars are supporting."

He compared his effort with proposals to protect children from tobacco advertising, saying homosexuality "is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands every year through AIDS."