In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by the Duggar Family. 

To their adoring fans, the Duggar family is a close-knit, super-sized Christian family intent on raising their brood under a stringent set of beliefs and rules. But when we dig below the surface, we find so much more. From their affiliation with Bill Gothard’s predatory Institute of Basic Life Principles, to their deeply sexist rules for their daughters, to their bizarre and troubling homeschool curriculum, the Duggar family’s problems run deeper than just floor-length denim skirts and parent-supervised dates.

Join us in this first part of a two-episode look at everything you wish you didn’t know about the Duggar family.

Recommended titles (available at our bookshop):

What Riley Wore by Elana K. Arnold and Linda Davick

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell

This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel

Simon Vs. The Homosapien's Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Links: 

Can Taking the Pill Cause a Miscarriage?

A Comprehensive Guide to the Duggar Family

Bill Gothard's Lawsuit

'Counting On': How Did the Duggar Family Get on Television?

What Church Do the Duggars Go To?

Institute in Basic Life Principles (hot garbage dump)

Here's How the Duggars Really Make Their Money

The Fundamentalist Trap

Duggar Family Rules

The Fundamentally Toxic Christianity

The Cult Next Door (all about IBLP and super creep Bill Gothard)

ATI Homeschool Curriculum Preview 

Duggar Family Website/Blog

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