Palin campaign manager: Palin ‘cringed at the idea’ of reading a gay-friendly children’s book.

Just the name "Sarah Palin" makes me cringe.

Thinkprogress:

Last fall, media reports alleged that Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) had tried to ban books from the local library while mayor of Wasilla. The McCain campaign countered that under Mayor Palin “not one book was banned, period,” while Palin insisted that her inquiries into removing books from the shelves were strictly “rhetorical.”

In a new biography of Palin released this week, Trailblazer: An Intimate Biography of Sarah Palin, her former campaign manager details Palin’s disgust at the idea of a gay-friendly book. During her 1996 mayoral campaign, Palin questioned the local library director about the “content and selection” of the library’s books. [p. 76]

One book that Palin questioned as not being “appropriate for the public library” was Daddy’s Roommate, a story about a young boy whose father is gay and moves in with his partner. Palin’s campaign manager at the time, Laura Chase, urged Palin to read the book before passing judgment:

I found it to be a sensitve book about showing love for additional family members. I took the book to show the other council members and said I felt it was inoffensive and suggested for everyone to read it, but there were not takers. I said, ‘Sarah why don’t you take it home and read it.’ I could tell by her body language she cringed at the idea.I was shocked. It blew my mind that she wouldn’t look at it. [p. 77]