CHICAGO (WBBM Newsradio 780) -- Chicago gay rights activists are concerned about what may have been a hate crime in the Lakeview neighborhood.
The Chicago Public Library says that about 100 books were destroyed after someone set a fire in the section for gay and lesbian literature.
It happened Tuesday about noon at the John Merlo branch of the public library in the 600 block of West Belmont.
Newsradio 780 is told that someone is believed to have set fire to books with a cigarette lighter and that about 90 gay and lesbian books were destroyed, and that about 10 books destroyed in the African American literature section.
Police say they are investigating but are not calling it a hate crime investigation at this point.
No one was injured.
The first floor of the library stayed open, but the second floor - where the fire was - was closed for a few hours yesterday afternoon.
Gay activists say they are concerned. This month is Gay Pride Month, and the Lakeview neighborhood, where this happened, is the center of the gay community.
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