Jake Epp Library board denies request to ban gender-affirming book

The Jake Epp Library board has blocked an attempt to remove a Christian gender-affirming book from its shelves in December.

During a Dec. 10 meeting, the board passed a motion to deny a request to remove Queerfully and Wonderfully Made: A Guide for LGBTQ+ Christian Teens by Leigh Finke.

The book lays out answers for queer teens and young adults who question how to balance their religious beliefs with their gender identity, according to publisher Beaming Books.

“We need to serve all segments of our society, whatever that looks like.” said Coun. Jac Siemens, Steinbach city council’s representative on the board.

“It’s a public library. It’s not a private library where we only have certain books.”

The request was filed in 2024, but wasn’t addressed until September 2025 because hiring a librarian was a more immediate priority, Siemens said.

The submitted complaint, viewed by The Carillon, alleged the book’s title was offensive and “a mockery” of a Bible verse. The complainant’s name wasn’t made public.

The complainant wrote they didn’t read the book and asked for the title to be removed “out of respect for God.”

The Jake Epp Library’s collection development policy outlines how it reviews and selects the books in circulation. The policy states materials are chosen to offer an equal, professionally-reviewed and evidence-based balance of viewpoints.

“We will recognize that our community has a substantial number of residents who espouse the Christian religion. Materials for the special interests of this group will be provided, but never to the exclusion of other religious groups,” the policy reads.

Siemens said if the book was removed, it could spark calls for other books to be reviewed or banned. The Jake Epp Library has never banned a book, he noted.

Canadian libraries have faced rising calls for book removals. In 2025, 98 complaints were lodged against public libraries, according to the Canadian Library Challenges Database, operated by the Centre for Free Expression and the Canadian Federation of Library Associations.

Keeping queer books on library shelves are essential for Steinbach’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community, said Angelica Brunger, executive director of queer resource centre Band of Colours.

“My first reaction is happy to be perfectly honest, because I don’t think that knowledge should be restricted, and I think that people should be allowed to read what they want to read,” Brunger said.

Being a teenager is a confusing time and having access to resources can answers questions on sexual and gender identity that some teenagers grapple with, said Brunger, who uses they/them pronouns. Teens often turn to social media for information and can become overwhelmed when education resources and books aren’t available, they added.

Brunger uses the library to refer books to people who prefer physical content rather than online because Band of Colours doesn’t have a library of its own.

The library board’s decision to keep the book available is a positive step for the queer community, following the cancellation of Steinbach Pride in September 2025 due to safety concerns, said Brunger.

“I think it’s a really big impact on the queer community in Steinbach, knowing that they have a city-owned place that is affirming and accepting,” they said.