Banned Books, Chapter 2

The group chose Fairfax County to launch its book drive last fall after a Lorton teen became interested in the idea and invited the organizers to meet with her family and some friends from Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield. Since then, dozens of friends have approached their libraries with armfuls of books.

Organizers said the books would bring balance to the library, which has books supporting same-sex marriage or the idea that homosexuality is fixed at birth.

Focus on the Family selected and supplied the books. The teenagers assembled yesterday did not say they had read any of them.

Other groups are launching similar campaigns to get books challenging homosexuality on library shelves. Virginia-based Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays maintains a list of titles and encourages its members to donate them to libraries. And Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, described on its Web site as a "group dedicated to exposing the homosexual activist agenda," is poised to launch a Library Fairness Project.

Peter LaBarbera, president of the Naperville, Ill.-based group, said libraries already have scores of books with positive views of homosexuality. "That seems to be something that is going to be very difficult to change," he said. "Instead let's expand the selection to get both sides in the library."

Thornily said she has offered to help find books that meet the county standards and offer a religious view on homosexuality along with other views. She has asked librarians to consider adding such books to their collections.

At West Springfield High, several students huddled in prayer circles as the news conference dispersed yesterday, their arms around each other. Some said they had donated a new round of books to their libraries and were waiting to see what happens.