Research by the British newspaper The Independent and Index on Censorship reveals that more than half of school libraries (53 percent) have encountered parents requesting the removal of books about homosexuality and gender identity from their collections. This includes books like Julian is a Mermaid by author Jessica Love, which tells the story of a gender-nonconforming child who dreams of being a mermaid. Another frequently complained about book is ABC Pride by Louie Stowell, Elly Barnes, and Amy Phelps, which contains passages such as "A is for Acceptance" and "L is for Love."

According to the research, in half of the cases, a parent's complaint results in the actual removal of the book from the library collection. Several librarians describe how parents threaten to have the staff member fired if their demands are not met.

A spokesperson for the British LGBT+ organisation Stonewall told The Independent: "Schools [must] ensure that all young people have access to inclusive educational materials and books that represent the world we live in and the communities everyone is a part of."

"Preventing LGBTQ+ young people from seeing themselves represented in inclusive resources and books at school can often make them feel ashamed and feel the need to hide who they are."

The attack on books that discuss LGBT+ topics or characters is happening on a much larger scale in the United States. A librarian who participated in the research drew parallels with American tactics, where conservative organisations create an uproar over certain books to have them removed from libraries.

This fits within a broader conservative trend where the visibility of the LGBT+ community is framed as "harmful to children," and LGBT+ individuals are accused of "indoctrinating children."