A public county library in Virginia is at risk of shutting down after a group of far-right community members launched a campaign to defund it on accusations it held “pornographic books” though in fact the works usually just explore LGBTQ+ themes. Samuels Library in Front Royal’s Warren county is set to close on 1 October as public funding has been withheld by the Warren county board of supervisors since July, cutting off crucial financial support. America has been hit by a wave of rightwing protests at libraries and schools that usually target books and material that have LGBTQ+ characters, plots or stories. The move is part of a wider rightwing cultural backlash, especially in Republican-led US states.