A bomb threat to a Somerville Public Library drag story hour in 2024 is cited in report a by the Pen America free-speech advocacy group detailing book bans and other forms of censorship in public libraries across the country.
The event, which would have featured a drag queen reading a story to children, gained attention on social media, leading to a protest and counterprotest outside of the library. Police searched the building for a bomb, and the event was canceled.
“Ten years ago, we could have had [drag story time] with no pushback or very little pushback,” said Cathy Piantigini, director of Somerville Public Libraries. That was before social media opened a local issue to the world. “I think what a lot of libraries find is, you get this pushback and you don’t even know who these people are. A lot of the stuff that played out on social media, it’s not even folks that live in the community.”…