An LGBTQ+-inclusive Pride Month display in the children’s section of the Monroeville Public Library has been removed, prompting questions from residents about how the decision was made and whether municipal officials played a role.
Photos taken after the display was dismantled show shelves that previously featured dozens of LGBTQ+-inclusive children’s books sitting empty beneath a “Love Is Love” sign. Left standing on the display was a single children’s title: The Day the Books Disappeared.
The removal comes just days after dozens of residents, parents, educators, and LGBTQ+ advocates attended the Monroeville Public Library Board meeting to defend the display after Monroeville Ward 4 Councilman Bill Krut publicly criticized it on social media.
In a Facebook post, Krut questioned whether the books should be available to children and described the display as “child, sexual grooming.”
At the June 22 library board meeting, community members overwhelmingly expressed support for the display, with speakers sharing personal stories about growing up without LGBTQ+ representation, raising children in LGBTQ+ families, and the importance of public libraries reflecting the diversity of the communities they serve.
The display featured age-appropriate children’s and middle-grade books about LGBTQ+ families, Pride, acceptance, belonging, and history, including The GayBCs, Prince & Knight, Pride Puppy!, My Two Moms, My Two Dads, Sparkle Boy, A Kids Book About Gay Parents, and The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets.
Questions about a reported council vote
The display’s removal has also sparked questions about reports that Monroeville Council voted to remove it.
Monroeville resident Nicole Scott wrote on social media that community members Paul Hajdukiewicz and Don Ammon spoke with Municipal Manager Alex Graziani and were told council had voted 4–3 in favor of removing the display. According to Scott’s account, the reported majority included Councilmembers Joseph Hyzy (Ward 1), Bill Krut (Ward 4), Mike Adams (Ward 5), and Bob Williams (Ward 6).
QBurgh has not independently verified that such a vote occurred, and no public record of a council vote on the library display has been identified.
The reported vote has drawn scrutiny because Monroeville Council’s publicly advertised meeting schedule does not appear to include a meeting where such action could have been taken. Council’s last regular meeting was held on June 9, before the controversy surrounding the Pride display began, and the next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, July 7.
As of publication, QBurgh has not identified a publicly noticed council meeting between those dates at which council could have voted on removing the display.
If a vote did occur, residents are asking when it took place, whether it complied with Pennsylvania’s open meeting requirements, what authority council exercised over the library display, and why the public was not informed.
Scott also questioned whether comments made by some council members regarding the library’s municipal funding may have influenced the display’s removal.
“The people of Monroeville deserve a full explanation,” Scott wrote. “If there was a council vote, when did it occur? Was it public? Why wasn’t the community informed?”
Community plans another show of support
Rather than allowing the controversy to end with the removal of the display, residents are organizing another show of support for the library.
Families are encouraging children to create drawings, letters, and notes describing what the Monroeville Public Library means to them. The messages will be delivered during Monroeville Council’s next scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 7, at 7 p.m. at the Monroeville Municipal Building.
Organizers say the effort is intended to recognize the library’s staff and children’s department while demonstrating community support for intellectual freedom, inclusive public spaces, and the library’s mission to serve all residents.
QBurgh has reached out to Monroeville Municipal officials seeking clarification on several questions, including who directed library staff to remove the Pride display? Was the display removed as part of a routine rotation or because of the recent controversy? Did Monroeville Council vote on the display? If so, when and at what public meeting? What authority, if any, does council have over library displays?
This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Krut, who represents Monroeville’s Ward 4 on council, is next scheduled to appear on the ballot when his seat comes up for reelection in November 2027.