A teenage library employee in Wisconsin says a Republican congressional candidate angrily confronted her about a display of LGBTQ+ books, the Associated Press reports.
Kerrigan Trautsch says that retired Navy SEAL Derrick Van Orden confronted her in June about a Pride Month display in the Prairie du Chien Memorial Library. At the time, Trautsch was 17.
One book that especially drew Van Orden’s ire was Jill Twiss’ satirical children’s book, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, which imagines former Vice President Mike Pence’s pet rabbit as gay. Van Orden reportedly complained that the book was not factual.
“He’s quite right, it’s not factual,” library director Nancy Ashmore told People magazine. “But it’s not supposed to be. It’s fiction."
“His voice was loud, he was aggressive, he had his finger jabbing into [the book] constantly,” Trausch said, adding that she didn’t feel safe at work after the incident. “I was terrified that he would be outside, that there would be a collection of people outside waiting for me, waiting for anyone else. We were terrified.”
A spokesperson for Van Orden sent a statement on his behalf to the La Crosse Tribune reading in part, “I unequivocally support equal rights for all Americans. This of course includes our fellow citizens who are members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Ashmore said the incident won’t affect future Pride Month displays at the library.
“The display grows every year, because we keep getting more materials,” Ashmore said. “It will keep getting bigger. It’s something we do every year, and we intend to keep doing.”
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
