Cameron starred in the sitcom Growing Pains in the 1980s and early ’90s before becoming a well-known Christian conservative activist. Some on social media are speaking in support of Cameron and his book, while others have shared posts that are critical of the actor.
Fox News reported on Wednesday that As You Grow—which “celebrates family, faith and biblical wisdom”—won’t be able to “reach scores of American children or their families in many U.S. cities.” Cameron’s publisher, Brave Books, told that outlet of rejections and non-responses from more than 50 public libraries.
Fox also noted that some libraries opting against featuring Cameron have played host to so-called drag-queen story hours.
The actor previously told Fox News Digital about the book in a separate article.
“As Bibles are literally being removed from schools and libraries—and as Christianity, and faith, and the Ten Commandments are being taken out of schools and replaced with toxic ideas like transgenderism, CRT and the 1619 project, I’m looking to fight back,” he reportedly said.
Many on social media have responded to Fox’s latest article, either by cheering on public libraries or defending Cameron.
“I’m hearing that libraries are doing their best to protect children from Kirk Cameron. Good for libraries,” user @LaurenBaratzL tweeted.
“Kirk Cameron is a right wing extremist and has no business being around children,” Twitter user @BronxyBoy666 wrote.
“Sorry Kirk Cameron but if you and your sister can refuse to make movies including gay couples & interracial couples then libraries can refuse to give you and your books a platform,” user @TraceyDelaney tweeted on Wednesday. “Funny how you don’t like it when your own actions are used against you.”
Cameron’s sister, Fuller House actress Candace Cameron Bure, has also come under fire in recent weeks. She was slammed as a “bigot” last month after saying that the Great American Family network, where she serves as an executive, would likely not include homosexual couples in holiday movies, instead opting to “keep traditional marriage at the core.”
Cameron responded to the backlash in a statement sent to Newsweek.
“This is proof that more than ever, we are getting destroyed in the battle for the hearts and minds of our children,” the actor said in part. “I mean, publicly funded libraries are green-lighting ‘Gender Marker and Name Change Clinics,’ while denying a story time that would involve the reading of a book that teaches biblical wisdom and the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. How much more clear can it get?”
Many others have spoken out in support of Cameron and his book, including the conservative activist known as “Joe the Plumber.” He extended an invitation via tweet for Cameron to stop by “our Hillsdale sponsored K-12 Classical education charter school.”
The tweet continued: “[T]eaching kids how to think instead of what to think is very important.”
“The day has officially come where drag queen book story’s are encouraged but Kirk Cameron and his Christian books are banned….” Dear America podcast host Graham Allen tweeted on Wednesday.
Conservative columnist Todd Starnes also backed Cameron in a tweet.
“50 taxpayer-funded libraries reject a story time for a faith-based book for kids written by Kirk Cameron,” he wrote. “Those same libraries host queer story time hours. Gays are welcome, but God is not.”
Update 12/7/22, 4:29 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from Cameron.
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