An Alabama library board member threatened to “involve the authorities” after a local mother reached out to the library with concerns about sexually graphic books that have been available at libraries around the state. 
Last month, Limestone County resident Rachel Homolak reached out to newly-appointed Athens-Limestone Public Library board member Vicki Hereford to flag several sexually explicit books that have been in circulation at public libraries throughout Alabama. In response to the emails, which contained images from the books, Hereford warned Homolak on Sunday to never contact her again and that she would call the authorities if Homolak reached out to again. 
“The disgusting pronographic [sic] material that you chose to send to me twice via email &#8211; UNSOLICITED &#8211; is filth. Because you choose to send this for whatever reason — shock value, perhaps — you are distributing the very material that you say you fight against. I will not meet with you,” Hereford said in a Sunday email shared with The Daily Wire. “Do not contact me via email, phone call or text, or in person again. Any communication from you will be considered harassment and I will be forced to involve the authorities.”
The response came after a pair of emails on February 10 where Homolak flagged two sexually explicit books aimed at kids for Hereford amid a statewide fight between parents and leftist activists over library control. Hereford responded on March 16, after Homolak reached out to see if her messages had been received. Homolak said she just wanted to make Hereford aware of the issues and flag one book that was in circulation at the Athens-Limestone County Public Library. 
Homolak, who used to live in Missouri, previously <a href="https://www.alreporter.com/2024/05/27/alabama-library-critic-led-defamatory-campaign-in-missouri-lawsuit-claims/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made headlines</a> for arguing that male librarians should not be allowed to wear women’s clothing while staffing the children’s sections of libraries. She told The Daily Wire that she was really disappointed with the response because she was hoping to work with Hereford. 
After being contacted by The Daily Wire, Hereford said that she shared a commitment with Homolak to protecting kids from explicit materials. 
“I understand all too well the challenges that families face in seeking to protect and guide our children and grandchildren,” she said. “It is my goal in this service role to ensure that concerns are addressed and particularly that children are protected. While our methods used to reach that goal may be different, I do believe that this parent and I share a commitment to protect children and guide them toward adulthood. One task in support of that goal is to deliver age-appropriate content within our county library to our patrons of all ages.
The two books that Homolak flagged were “Let’s Talk About It,” and “It’s Perfectly Normal.” The latter contains graphic depictions of sex and is <a href="https://alcpl.bywatersolutions.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=89619&amp;query_desc=kw%252Cwrdl%253A%2520It%E2%80%99s%2520perfectly%2520normal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available</a> in Athens-Limestone County Public Library within the adult section, though the book itself is aimed at kids. 
&#8220;Please take a stand and make sure these vile books stay out of the hands of our children. You have statewide support through the [Alabama Public Library System] so there is no reason to cater to the loud and obnoxious democrat demons in our county. Stand strong and do what is right,” Homolak wrote in her first email. “I will send you more images from other hot topic books that these leftist lunatics push.”
The second email focused on &#8220;It&#8217;s Perfectly Normal,&#8221; which includes illustrations of kids masturbating.
&#8220;This is porn. It also encourages kids to masturbate with illustrations of kids masturbating. Evil. Can you believe that grown adults draw kids masturbating??&#8221; Homolak wrote.
In her response to The Daily Wire, Hereford focused on the email on the book &#8220;Let&#8217;s Talk About It,&#8221; which is available in the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library System.
&#8220;A person within our community sent me disturbing images from a book, Let’s Talk About It, that is not offered in the Athens-Limestone Public Library,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The constituent noted that our library does not carry that book but that other libraries in nearby counties may have it. I checked again with our library staff regarding the book title in question and they confirmed that we do not have that item in the library. That book had been reviewed prior to my appointment, and it was determined that it would not be added to the books available in our library.&#8221;
Last year, the Athens-Limestone County Library was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-fight-to-shield-kids-from-graphic-material-in-a-deep-red-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">embroiled in controversy</a> after a group of activists raised concerns that the county had no representation on the library board, despite organization bylaws. Recently, two county appointees, including Hereford, were appointed to the board, in response to those complaints.
Under new guidelines established by Republican Governor Kay Ivey, the Alabama Public Library System has directed all libraries receiving state funding to implement policies to keep sexually explicit books out of the kids&#8217; sections of libraries. The policies have been opposed by leftist groups, who claim that such policies are akin to book bans and violate free speech.
Other conservative areas across the country have also taken steps to shield kids from explicit content. In Tennessee on Monday, the Rutherford County library board <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-town-faces-down-liberal-protests-votes-to-remove-books-promoting-transgenderism-to-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved a resolution</a> that all books promoting transgenderism to kids should be removed from the shelves.

US-BOOKS-LITTERATURE-CENSORSHIP

An Alabama Mom Complained About Pornographic Kids Books. The Library Threatened To Call The Cops.

Alabama

Children's Books

LGBTQ

Library

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A Tennessee library board voted Monday evening to remove all books promoting transgenderism to children from its system, facing down protesters who called them &#8220;Nazis&#8221; for taking the stand. 
The Rutherford County Library board voted 5-3 in favor of a resolution to take books encouraging children to adopt radical gender ideology off their shelves. The vote came after a tense 2-hour meeting attended by over 100 community members who showed up at the Historic Rutherford County Courthouse in Murfreesboro, about 34 miles from Nashville, to hear debate on the resolution.
The resolution directed the library to “remove material that promotes, encourages, advocates for or normalizes transgenderism or ‘gender confusion’ in minors.”
After the vote was taken, a group of supporters of the resolution, who showed up wearing white shirts, erupted with cheers and clapping. Opponents, who heckled the board throughout the meeting, shouted things like “Nazis!” at the library board. During debate on the resolution, audience members would break out in cheers after a board member spoke in favor of their position.
Cody York, who introduced the measure, said that he did so because the board had an obligation to protect children.
“The library board is expending money to keep books on the shelf. By just keeping a book we are making a decision to expend funds, taxpayer dollars, to keep those books there,” York said. “Books that promote transgender ideology are harmful to children.”
York referenced detransitioners across the country who have sued their doctors for performing transgender medical procedures on them.
“The state and federal government have determined that these are harmful practices,” York said, pointing to President Donald Trump’s executive order that the federal government would not promote transgender procedures on kids. “The fact that some children in our community struggle with gender confusion means that we should be equipping them to successfully deal with the dangers of, and root cause of, that danger.”
Before the votes, 10 community members were given 3 minutes each to speak.
“If we cause children to go down this road, they can make decisions they will regret for the rest of their lives. When we expose them to things that they don’t have a level to understand, it’s really sexualizing them,” a woman named Michelle said, urging the board to take away books promoting transgender ideology. “Children, they don’t have a capacity for this. If we say we love them, if we say that ‘you are loved,&#8217; ‘we loved you,’ we should want to tell that person the truth. Love is truth.”
Under the new policy, staff at libraries across the county would have to flag books promoting transgender ideology to kids and turn them over to the board for evaluation.
Board members who voted in favor included York, Marzee Woodard, Dina Piazza, and Susan Quesenberry. Those who voted against included Benjamin Groce, Kory Wells, and Rollie Holden.
Previously, in the meeting the board voted to remove a book called “Me &amp; My Dysphoria Monster,” a children&#8217;s illustrated book that tells the story of a boy who believes that he is a girl who meets a “trans man” who teaches him about gender dysphoria.
That vote was 5-2 along almost the same lines as the other vote, except with an abstention from Holden.
Tennessee state lawmakers have already moved to get sexually explicit books out of school libraries, and this new Rutherford County resolution would enact a similar policy at the county level for transgender ideology.

Transgender flag

Tennessee Town Faces Down Liberal Protests, Votes To Remove Books Promoting Transgenderism To Kids

gender ideology

Social Issues

Tennessee

Transgender

U.S.

The fight to keep sexually explicit books away from children is not just being fought in big liberal cities.
Even in deep red Alabama, there is resistance to removing books such as the sexually explicit LGBT-themed book “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” in which there are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-time-to-unite-against-the-real-enemy">graphic descriptions</a> of anal rape and incest. It&#8217;s the book that Louisiana Senator John Kennedy read aloud during a Senate committee hearing last year, shocking all in attendance.  The book <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/concern-raised-over-sexually-explicit-book-in-olathekansas-seventh-grade-classroom/">graphically describes</a> sexual activities and includes lines like, &#8220;He didn’t know I was a virgin, and I did my best to act dominant like my favorite porn star,&#8221; and, &#8220;He reached his hand down and pulled out my d**k. He quickly went to giving me head.&#8221;
But just last month, an effort from concerned residents in one small Alabama community asking for the book to be moved to the adult section of their local library was denied. Under current guidelines, parents can complain about a book, but a committee appointed by the library director decides the fate of the book. The committee in charge of reviewing &#8220;All Boys Aren&#8217;t Blue&#8221; in Huntsville-Madison County unanimously ruled that it should stay in the library’s young adult section. 
Cindy Hewitt, the executive director of the Huntsville-Madison Library, told one concerned resident on May 28 that the committee found that though the content in the book is “frank and open” it is “relevant to the author’s history,” according to a letter obtained by The Daily Wire. According to Hewitt, the committee found that it would be a “disservice to remove it from the collection as it would neglect to consider the real-world issues of sex and sexual abuse that some teenagers may already be experiencing.” 
A new policy set to go into effect next month, however, could create a new calculus for local libraries. After July 15, funding for state libraries will be tied to removing sexually explicit and graphic books from the children’s sections of public libraries.
Under the new rules, libraries will be required to come up with a “selection criteria for minors and how they are safeguarded from sexually explicit or other material deemed inappropriate for children or youth.”
The policies also stipulate that libraries will need to have provisions in place to move books that have been deemed sexually explicit or inappropriate for children. The amended rules say that libraries shall “approve written guidelines that ensure library sections designated for minors under the age of 18 remain free of material containing obscenity, sexually explicit or other material deemed inappropriate for children or youth.”
Another rule would create guidelines for library cards handed out to minors, including that parents need to give approval and that the cards can’t be used to check out books from the adult section of the library. This would give parents, like the ones attempting to have &#8220;All Boys Aren&#8217;t Blue&#8221; moved from the young adult shelves of the Huntsville-Madison County Library, a new avenue to have their complaints addressed.
John Wahl, the chair of the Alabama Republican Party and a member of the Alabama Public Library System, told The Daily Wire that he fully expects the policies to go into place.
”Once these go into effect on July 15, Alabama will have some of the strongest regulations in the country to make sure children are protected,” Wahl told The Daily Wire. “It is time that we protect children from social engineering and from materials that really are not appropriate for them.” 
He added that parents had come before the APLS board to tell them about sexually explicit books their kids had found at local libraries. He said that the people of Alabama “want the libraries to be cleaned up” and that taxpayer dollars should not go to purchase explicit books aimed at children. 
<div id="attachment_753079" style="width: 854px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-753079" class="wp-image-753079 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872-844x576.jpg" alt="" width="844" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872-844x576.jpg 844w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872-300x205.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872-768x524.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px" />Credit: H. Rick Bamman/Pioneer Press/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images.</div>
Media and leftist activists have attempted to portray the pending rule as a &#8220;book ban,&#8221; but backers say its a misrepresentation.
“No one is about banning books. We’re not trying to ban anything. We are trying to definitely protect children though,” APLS board member Amy Minton told The Daily Wire. “Why do we have these books in our public libraries that encourage the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity when it&#8217;s against the current law of Alabama?”
She added that the vast majority of public comments sent in related to the policies were in support. 
According to Elizabeth Stewart, an organizer with the conservative group Moms for Liberty and resident of Athens, Alabama, a large part of the push for children’s books with graphic material is coming from the American Library Association, which wants to expose children to “various forms of sexual activity.”
The American Library Association is run by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marxist-lesbian-president-of-american-library-association-doubles-down-on-agenda-for-a-better-world">self-described</a> “lesbian Marxist” and has vigorously protested any effort to shield children from graphic materials while pushing leftist ideology. 
”Everytime we make a choice to put something in, we are simultaneously making a choice to not put something in,” Stewart said. “And so it does make a difference — there’s not an endless space in each library to put everything which is why age appropriate curriculum material selection policy has to be written well.” 
<div id="attachment_753081" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-753081" class="wp-image-753081 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215-864x576.jpg" alt="CHINO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 20: A man holds a sign in support of a policy that the Chino Valley school board is meeting to vote on which would require school staff to &quot;out&quot; students to their parents if they ask to be identified by a gender that is not listed on their birth certificate on July 20, 2023 in Chino, California. In June, the board voted 4-1 to revise guidelines for ceremonies and observances that would only allow U.S., California, military, foreign nations and flags of higher education institutions, effectively banning LGBTQ+ pride flags from being displayed on school district property. Today's vote is a continuation of the June meeting discussion of matters affecting LGBTQ+ students. " width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Photo by David McNew/Getty Images.</div>
Library boards will play an important part in developing policies that will be in accordance with the new APLS guidelines.
Stewart told The Daily Wire that it is important for local citizens to take responsibility for their own communities. That’s why she’s been pushing for clarity on the makeup of her own Athens-Limestone County Public Library board, which has been embroiled in controversy the last several months over its policies on sexually-themed books and board appointments. 
The controversy began when longtime librarian and mother Carissa Callan was alarmed by a posted policy that said the library was supposed to supply books on sex “that reflect changing attitudes and departures from traditional mores.” As a resident of Limestone County, Callan applied for a spot on the board, as the library&#8217;s publicly posted policies said three board appointments were given to the city and two to the county.
After being denied an application on the board, Callan and Stewart discovered that the library board was completely controlled by the city, contradicting posted policy. They launched<a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/GCNDW?utm_source=sharelink&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_campaign=GCNDW&amp;fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1yvPwZvckg2N3aDGec24sv2Z8pSZA3bxWi2Hz3nZihyAkeD8MhRXFCjbg_aem_AQQ4shsxi0nN9_WkzwyuPOhMe5l0DbnVt3ryOkB_hMVmr9YdfPHQt6bpuFTsAV0FKt275ydQ0iXEn-lJmOgxIiw-"> an effort</a> to hire outside legal counsel to get county residents a guaranteed spot on the board. 
“County citizens have continued paying as if it&#8217;s a joint board since 2009 but without representation,” a GiveSendGo <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/GCNDW?utm_source=sharelink&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_campaign=GCNDW&amp;fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1yvPwZvckg2N3aDGec24sv2Z8pSZA3bxWi2Hz3nZihyAkeD8MhRXFCjbg_aem_AQQ4shsxi0nN9_WkzwyuPOhMe5l0DbnVt3ryOkB_hMVmr9YdfPHQt6bpuFTsAV0FKt275ydQ0iXEn-lJmOgxIiw-">organized</a> by &#8220;Limestone County Citizens&#8221; to raise funds for a constitutional lawyer says. “County residents are seeking legal answers to public policy being incorrect for 15 years.”
The city makes up just about 26% of Limestone’s population of around 110,000. The library’s total expected revenue for fiscal year 2024 came to around $628,600. This funding came from multiple sources, including the county and the state, totaling around $224,244, according to records viewed by The Daily Wire. 
Stewart said that county citizens were effectively getting taxed twice for something they did not have a voice on. 
“The county citizens are getting hit twice. They’re paying their local county commission for no representations,” Stewart told The Daily Wire. “The state of Alabama has been funding this library for 15 years under documentation and legal bylaws stating that it has remained a joint library effort and a joint board.” 
The city of Athens told The Daily Wire that the incorrect information about the board appointment on the website appeared to be the result of “human error,” and that it had been removed from the website “weeks ago.” 
The library’s <a href="https://www.alcpl.org/using-the-library/library-policies/">current page</a> on policies says it is “under construction,” and current policies on board membership cannot be found online. However, the library’s updated policies from this May are available upon request from the library, and were obtained by The Daily Wire. 
That policy no longer contains the requirement for books &#8220;that reflect changing attitudes and departures from traditional mores,&#8221; but now stipulates that the library board is all appointed by the city. Limestone residents still have questions about why the county provides funding without getting to make any board appointments. 
The Limestone County Commission <a href="https://www.enewscourier.com/news/commission-approves-update-to-library-board/article_8ebaca96-2297-11ef-82e9-df2c6fe9f708.html">voted</a> last week to approve a resolution that expresses a goal of forming a joint-library board again with at least two county representatives. The resolution would require an agreement to be reached by October 1. The exact details appear to still be up in the air and county residents remain unconvinced that the board will be changed. 
A spokeswoman for Athens said that the “city and the county are exploring modifications so that the board contains appointments from both the city and county,” adding that “when/if those changes are made, the library policy will also be changed.”
None of the members of the Limestone County Commission responded to Daily Wire requests for comment. 
Limestone residents also believe that there should be an independent review of the board regardless of whether the county is given any seats on the board or not. Wahl agrees, saying that there should be an independent review from outside to ensure that a fair resolution is found. 
Stewart said that there needs to be a legitimate board in place in Athens before they can develop a policy on sexually explicit books in accordance with the APLS. Regardless, the Athens-Limestone Library will need to submit its policy by October if the new guidelines take effect in July.

Frequently Banned Books

Inside The Fight To Shield Kids From Graphic Material In A Deep Red State

LGBT

sexual content

One of the country&#8217;s largest Catholic advocacy groups is launching an effort led by parents to root out progressive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lgbtq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBT</a> books aimed at children from libraries ahead of Pride Month, which begins Saturday.
CatholicVote, a nonprofit focused on promoting Catholic values in public life, will debut its third annual &#8220;Hide The Pride&#8221; campaign on June 1. The campaign urges parents to rid their local taxpayer-funded library&#8217;s children&#8217;s section of sexualized and gender-related books, especially those that are prominently displayed.
&#8220;Public libraries have long been a summer destination hangout where children and parents can go for free resources, books, computer access, and community. And as public spaces, they should stay that way,&#8221; CatholicVote wrote in a <a href="https://catholicvote.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cv-hide-the-pride-printable.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">toolkit</a> for parents.
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&#8220;But during &#8216;Pride Month,&#8217; many libraries fill their children’s sections with gay and trans books, images, and symbols – not to mention drag- queen story hours,&#8221; the group continued. &#8220;So we are equipping you to fight back and reclaim your library for your kids. We are going to &#8216;Hide the Pride.'&#8221;
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The group is urging families to plan a library visit in early June where they go to the children&#8217;s section, take all the &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; books off the display shelves, check them out at the front desk, and go home and place the books on a shelf out of reach of children. The library books should be returned on time later, the group says.
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One person should also be designated to film during the library visit in case library staff gives the group trouble, CatholicVote recommended.
CatholicVote also provides a letter template for families to sign and send to their local library to protest the &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; displays in the children&#8217;s section. The group recommended gathering at least five or six people to sign the letter and delivering it to the library through either email or snail mail.
&#8220;We plan to keep these books checked out until the library agrees to remove the inappropriate content from the shelves,&#8221; the letter template reads. &#8220;Flags, signs, and book displays based on how adults experience sexual attraction and gender identity have no place in an open and public space for children.&#8221;
Catholic Vote also urged parents to share their videos, photos, and stories to encourage others.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716990157394000&amp;usg=AOvVaw33qQydjIo8bet419amChif">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
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&#8220;It is always powerful to know you are not alone in this fight for the soul of our children,&#8221; the group said.
<div>“Our campaign is designed to empower communities to take back public spaces from the radical LGBT movement that seeks to destroy the innocence of our children, while coercing parents and citizens into endorsing the latest forms of sexual perversion,&#8221; Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote said in a statement.</div>
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<div>&#8220;No child needs to see a graphic how-to manual on gay sex. Yet today we are told that this pornography must be proudly displayed in taxpayer-funded public libraries and foisted on our children,&#8221; Burch said. &#8220;Americans are fed up with being told that they must surrender their children and public spaces to an aggressive LGBT agenda. Parents have every right to demand that libraries shield this gross content from their children and that basic standards of decency be respected.&#8221;</div>
Over the last few years, parents across the country have vocally opposed a slew of children&#8217;s books dealing with gender ideology and sexuality — some containing pornographic content. Such books have popped up in libraries, particularly school libraries where children have access to them.
Some of the books that have raised concerns among parents are “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel with explicit sexual content, “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” which includes descriptions of anal sex and masturbation, “I Love My Colorful Nails,” about a boy whose classmates laugh at him when he paints his nails, “Ho’onani: Hula Warrior” about a Hawaiian girl who wants to lead the all-boys hula troupe at her school, and “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish” by Lil Miss Hot Mess, a founder of Drag Queen Story Hour, which is a nursery rhyme book about drag shows.

Reading Is Fundamental

Catholic Group Launches Parent-Led Effort To Root Out Children’s LGBT Books From Libraries Ahead Of Pride Month

Catholic Group Launches Parent-Led Effort To Root Out Children's LGBT Books From Libraries Ahead Of Pride Month

Catholic

Children

Drag Queen story hour

Gender

A group that decries the “violent effects of US border policy” and downplays illegal immigration will be bringing an exhibit on migration to over a dozen libraries across America in the coming months as illegal immigrants continue to pour across the southern border. 
Sponsored by the American Library Association, the largest nonprofit trade organization for libraries run by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marxist-lesbian-president-of-american-library-association-doubles-down-on-agenda-for-a-better-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">self-described</a> “lesbian Marxist,” 15 libraries from California to New Jersey, will be hosting an <a href="https://www.ala.org/tools/programming/world-on-the-move" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exhibition</a> called “World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration.”
The &#8220;Word on the Move&#8221; <a href="https://understandingmigration.org/about-the-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">project</a>, which has the stated goal of shaping public discussions on migration, says that national borders are a new development and promotes resources that aim to dismantle U.S. border policy.
“Popular discussions about modern-day migration often focus on issues of undocumented migration, but the fact is that human migration has been going on for millennia, while the idea that official documentation is required is at most a few hundred years old,” the project <a href="https://archive.ph/5u7Wd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a>. “And yet, while national borders are a comparatively recent invention, border policies are real and have real effects on the lives of migrants, as well as the lives of citizens on either side of the border.”
The project also says that people need to be taught to not think like a state and to think more about the anecdotes of people crossing borders. 
“These global perspectives are useful, but anthropologists understand that it is important to also learn how not to think like a state, telling instead the personal stories of people who live near or move across the border and the effects of border policy on their lives,” the project says. 
“Anthropologists have identified double standards in immigration policy by comparing the experience of Ukrainian war refugees to those from the Middle East and Africa, and they have studied objects found in the Sonoran Desert to understand the violent effects of US border policy,” the project adds. “Stories like these tell the human side of government actions.”
The reference to the violence and American border story links to an <a href="https://www.anthropology-news.org/articles/the-human-cost-of-border-enforcement-policies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> that says that policies to deter people from illegally crossing into the United States through urban areas pushes them to attempt to cross in more dangerous rural areas. 
The exhibition will be featured in libraries in California, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin. Several of the hosting libraries, including Calcasieu Parish Public Library, St Mary&#8217;s County Library, K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, Blount County Public Library, Amarillo Public Library, Weber County Library, and Lester Public Library are located in conservative areas. 
The <a href="https://understandingmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/WOTM-Exhibit-Guide-ONLINE.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exhibit</a> that will be at libraries will encourage a focus on “climate change” and says that the 2016 vote by the British to leave the European Union was motivated by dislike of immigrants. 
”British resistance to ‘welcoming migrants’ was a strong motivation for the ‘Leave’ campaign supporting the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union,” the exhibit says. The exhibit will be on display in five-week increments at each selected library from March 2023 until August 2025.
The exhibit guide also suggests that viewers pretend to be cultural anthropologists, and features bizarre artwork of a blue-haired cultural anthropologist who appears to be pregnant while conducting an interview.
<div id="attachment_712593" style="width: 721px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-712593" class="wp-image-712593 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-18-at-10.38.36-AM-711x576.png" alt="" width="711" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-18-at-10.38.36-AM-711x576.png 711w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-18-at-10.38.36-AM-300x243.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-18-at-10.38.36-AM-768x622.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-18-at-10.38.36-AM.png 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 711px) 100vw, 711px" />A blue-haired anthropologist featured in the exhibit.</div>
The project, which was first <a href="https://tennesseeconservativenews.com/blount-county-library-promotes-american-library-associations-radical-open-borders-agenda-op-ed-by-mark-pulliam/?inf_contact_key=f161e44a66452c9db3a133aa31850a3d680f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted</a> by a conservative media outlet in Tennessee, says that requiring documentation to immigrate is a recent invention, appearing to downplay the waves of illegal immigration that Western nations have faced in recent decades. 
”Much is made of ‘illegal’ or ‘undocumented’ immigrants, for example, but the very idea that migrants ought to have official documentation is itself a recent invention,” the project <a href="https://understandingmigration.org/about-the-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a>. “By presenting case studies from throughout human history and from the world, ‘World on the Move’ helps visitors distinguish what is really new about contemporary migration from what has remained constant over many tens of thousands of years.”
The American Library Association has previously been criticized over its Left-leaning tilt as it has wielded its influence against efforts to <a href="https://news.wttw.com/2022/04/18/american-library-association-director-says-book-bans-aim-suppress-social-change">ban</a> sexually explicit content from school libraries and to <a href="https://glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks/">recommend</a> dozens of LGBT books for minors. The American Library Association is headed up by Emily Drabinski, who previously described herself as a &#8220;Marxist lesbian&#8221; in a post on X.
“I just cannot believe that a Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect of @ALALibrary,” Drabinski wrote in an April 2022 post. “I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity! And my mom is SO PROUD. I love you mom.”
In response to her leadership, conservative led states including Alabama, Wyoming, Missouri, Texas and Florida all cut ties with association. Republican Senators have also <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/07.28.23-Rubio-et-al-Letter-to-IMLS-re-religious-discrimination.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoken out</a> against the American Library Association because of its <a href="https://www.ala.org/advocacy/libraries-respond-drag-queen-story-hour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backing</a> of drag queen story hours at libraries while reportedly restricting conservative events.

MixCollage-21-Mar-2024-02-24-PM-9702

Public Libraries Across Country Set To Host Marxist-Led Org That Decries ‘Violent Effects Of US Border Policy’

Border Patrol

Illegal Immigration

Southern Border

Legislators in West Virginia are considering a bill that would permit libraries to be prosecuted for carrying books deemed obscene.
House bill 4654, which the West Virginia House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to consider Monday afternoon, was instead put before a public hearing on Wednesday. It would <a href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?year=2024&amp;sessiontype=RS&amp;input=4654" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remove</a> the exclusions that had previously applied to schools, public libraries, and museums as to whether they could be prosecuted for displaying obscene matter to a minor even when the child was accompanied by a parent/guardian.
“State Code defines obscene matter as anything an average person believes depicts or describes sexually explicit conduct, nudity, sex or certain bodily functions; or anything a reasonable person would find lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value,” the Parkersburg News and Sentinel <a href="https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2024/01/a-war-over-words-west-virginia-schools-libraries-could-face-charges-for-books-deemed-controversial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “According to State Code 61-8A-2, any adult who knowingly and intentionally displays obscene matter to a minor could be charged with a felony, fined up to $25,000 and face up to five years in prison if convicted.”
On Wednesday, supporters of the bill read excerpts from books they considered obscene, including “Let’s Talk About It” and &#8220;Me, Earl and the Dying Girl.”
The sponsor of the bill, Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, <a href="https://wchstv.com/news/local/public-weighs-in-on-bill-that-would-criminally-charge-libraries-for-obscene-material" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a>, “Quit creating the safe haven that allows our children to be presented material that would be unlawful felonious conduct outside of the walls of that library or school.” He said he wanted to move the bill through the House rapidly so it could be considered by the Senate.
Carol Miley, a retired Kanawha County librarian, added, “I urge you to pass this bill. This is not about banning books. It’s about protecting our minor students from being abused. I call it mind rape or word pornography.”
“We have a responsibility to protect our children; a God-given responsibility,” Minister Daniel Curry of the Camden Avenue Church of Christ in Parkersburg <a href="https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2024/01/a-war-over-words-west-virginia-schools-libraries-could-face-charges-for-books-deemed-controversial/">stated</a>. “I would ask what is the need for obscene matter in schools and libraries?”

C-Level Stack Of Books At Eisenhower Library

West Virginia Considering Bill Allowing Prosecution Of Libraries For Obscene Books

Books

Obscenity

West Virginia

Pro-Palestinian protesters vandalized New York City&#8217;s flagship public library in Manhattan on Thanksgiving, and the clean-up process could cost up to $75,000.
The enormous building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, known for its iconic lion statues out front, was defaced with red handprints, stickers, and green spray paint during at least three separate protests over the last few weeks.
The most damage was done on Thursday when hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“On Thanksgiving, individuals involved in a protest engaged in a shameful act of vandalism to the Library’s flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman building, a space devoted to the open exchange of ideas and intellectual debate,” New York Public Library spokeswoman Jennifer Fermino <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/11/24/palestinian-protesters-arrested-macys-thanksgiving-parade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Washington Post.
The flagship library building is named for Stephen A. Schwarzman, a Jewish businessman and philanthropist who donated $100 million in 2008 for the library&#8217;s expansion.
Some of the graffitied structures are delicate carved pieces that may have to be replaced if crews cannot remove the paint without damaging them, Garrett Bergen, director of facilities for the library, <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/new-york-public-library-facing-steep-graffiti-cleanup-costs-after-protests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Gothamist.
“It is too early to say the costs of fixing the damages but the repair costs for all could be between 60k and 75k,” Fermino <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/11/26/metro/ny-public-library-facing-75k-cleanup-after-pro-palestinian-protesters-vandalism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New York Post.
The NYPD ended up arresting 34 protesters, including some who spray-painted “Free Palestine” on the library&#8217;s pillars. Library display boards outside the building were <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/11/26/metro/ny-public-library-facing-75k-cleanup-after-pro-palestinian-protesters-vandalism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also</a> vandalized with green and red paint — the colors of the Palestinian flag — and the words &#8220;Free Gaza.&#8221;
Some protesters also briefly disrupted the parade by gluing their hands to the pavement on its route. Several wore white jumpsuits drenched in fake blood and <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/11/23/metro/pro-palestinian-protesters-glue-their-hands-to-street-disrupting-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bearing</a> words like “colonialism,” “consumerism,” “ethnic cleansing,” and “fascism.”
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Police <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/11/24/palestinian-protesters-arrested-macys-thanksgiving-parade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> four people allegedly connected to the library vandalism were criminally charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, trespassing, and disorderly conduct. The other 30 people arrested were issued summons for trespassing.
The library&#8217;s vandalism comes in the wake of budget cuts due to New York City&#8217;s illegal migrant crisis.
Earlier this month, Mayor Eric Adams (D) slashed the city&#8217;s budget in several areas, including public libraries, policing, and sanitation.
“Migrant costs are going up, tax revenue growth is slowing, and COVID stimulus funding is drying up,” Adams <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/libraries-summer-school-police-and-composting-face-cuts-amid-nyc-budget-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
The library spokeswoman <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/11/24/palestinian-protesters-arrested-macys-thanksgiving-parade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the library “strongly supports the right to protest” but said the &#8220;steep budget cuts&#8221; have already affected the library&#8217;s service and the vandalism will be &#8220;costly to repair.&#8221;
Libraries across the city have already <a href="https://pix11.com/news/local-news/nyc-public-libraries-shutter-weekend-service-due-to-mayor-adams-budget-cuts/#:~:text=Library%20officials%20expect%20more%20budget,result%20in%20deeper%20service%20impacts.&amp;text=The%20elimination%20of%20Sunday%20service,service%20will%20be%20Nov.%2026." target="_blank" rel="noopener">shuttered</a> on Sundays in response to the budget cuts.

Protestors Arrested at Main Library

NYC Library Vandalized By Pro-Palestinian Protesters Needs $75,000 Clean-Up Amid Migrant Budget Cuts

Crime

Hamas

Israel

Migrants

New York

New York City

Palestinians

Protests

Throughout history, the greatest threat to free speech has always been authoritarian governments seeking to suppress dissent. That is still true today, even in America. Thankfully, a robust First Amendment has proved a necessary and valuable <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/missouri-v-biden-fifth-circuit-tech-censorship-white-house-covid-pandemic-86051c19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bulwark</a> against censorious government autocrats. Historically, those on the political Left have proven to be some of the fiercest defenders of broad speech protections. Not so today. To be sure, many on the political Left still pay lip service to the notion of a strong First Amendment. But far too often, they do so while actively promoting ideologies that ultimately render those protections worthless.
The ongoing debate over males participating in female sports is a prime example. Radical activists regularly <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/04/21/riley-gaines-sfsu-growing-attack-free-speech-college-campuses/11695771002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shout down and physically assault</a> anyone who dares to assert that men should not compete in women’s sports. The typical response from many leftists is to ignore the criminals committing violent acts against peaceful speakers. Instead, they blame the victim. They do so by advancing a noxious idea: the right to free speech does not protect anyone from the consequences of that speech. In other words, if someone does not like what you have to say, they have the right to punch you in the face, physically disrupt and shut down your speech, or chase you out of the room and restrain you in a room for hours while waiting for police protection.
This was the prevailing liberal response to a recent event held at the Mary L. Stevens Branch of the Yolo County Library. On August 20, Moms for Liberty – Yolo County, CA organized an event entitled “Forum for Fair and Safe Sport for Girls.” The event was scheduled to feature various speakers including Kim Jones, co-founder of Independent Council on Women’s Sports; Sophia Lorey, Outreach Coordinator at California Family Council and former collegiate athlete; Erin Friday, co-lead of Western Region of Our Duty-USA; and Allie Snyder, concerned mother and women’s rights advocate. 
Unfortunately, a library official shut down the event almost immediately. Why? Because one of the speakers used the phrase “men in women’s sports.” According to the official, California law prohibits use of the term “men” when referring to men who identify as women.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
California Public Library Silences Female Athlete <a href="https://t.co/dHYaxBFlr1">pic.twitter.com/dHYaxBFlr1</a>
&mdash; CA Family Council (@CAFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/CAFamily/status/1693459291410497772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After video of the <a href="https://www.californiafamily.org/2023/08/california-public-library-silences-female-athlete/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">library shutting down</a> the event was shared on social media, the library allegedly received three separate bomb threats. The organizers of the event issued a statement denouncing the threats. They made clear that violence is never an appropriate response to speech you disagree with.
In response to this situation, the Sacramento Bee published an <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article278881104.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-ed</a>. The writer agreed that the organizers engaged in protected speech and that the library likely violated their First Amendment rights. Nevertheless, the writer asserted that the event organizers are responsible for the threats. How? Because the views espoused by the organizers are also allegedly held by the perpetrators of the bomb threats.
This is nonsensical. First, it is unfair to assume that the threats were made by someone sympathetic to the event. More importantly, no one is responsible (legally or morally) for another person’s unlawful actions simply because they may share similar views on certain topics. If this were true, Martin Luther King, Jr. would be responsible for all the violent acts of the Black Panther Party. That’s a ridiculous notion. But those advancing this argument are not worried about logic or reason. Regardless of their high-sounding rhetoric, their goal is the same as every other autocrat: shut down all dissent through whatever means necessary. Here, they conflate speech with violence in an attempt to shut down one side of the debate.
Our country’s history is rife with debates on all manner of controversial topics including slavery, women’s suffrage, prohibition, and numerous wars. Many on both sides of these debates undoubtedly advanced arguments that were offensive to the other side. Yet, we trusted previous generations to have the intelligence and strength of character to evaluate the merits of these crucial debates without claiming the other side’s speech was equivalent to violence.
I believe our country is better for having gone through the slow and painful process of debating controversial topics involving competing deeply held beliefs.
The same holds true for our current debates on essential topics such as immigration, climate change, abortion, freedom of speech, religious freedom, and gender identity. The outcome of these debates has the potential to significantly affect the life of every American, either for good or for ill. Exercising the God-given right to participate in these great debates is at the heart of what it means to be an American.
Tyson Langhofer serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom at <a href="https://adflegal.org/?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alliance Defending Freedom</a>, which is representing Moms for Liberty – Yolo County, CA and the other speakers at the event.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire. 
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Entrance of the college library

California Library Shuts Down Moms For Liberty Event Over Misgendering Trans Athletes

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

California

Gender Identity

Readers Pass

Transgender Athletes

A lot of states are now starting to cut ties with the American Library Association, which is utterly appropriate considering that the ALA is now a Left-wing interest group like so many of our public institutions.
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) is going after the ALA. Lee said their goal is to sexualize children and minors with sexually explicit material and then hide this content from parents.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/09/15/american-library-association-book-bans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>When it was his turn to question witnesses, he called up a video of Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. In a Zoom call, Caldwell-Stone had been recorded arguing that book advocates should “reframe” the book challenges. This debate should not center on whether titles are sexually inappropriate for minors, Caldwell-Stone said. It should be about “diverse materials … that are about … everybody’s right to see themselves and their families reflected” on bookshelves. … The American Library Association is facing a partisan firefight unlike anything in its almost 150-year history.</blockquote>
The Left does something unbelievably terrible and provocative. But if you notice, you’re the one starting a “firefight.”
The Post continued:
<blockquote>The once-uncontroversial organization, which says it is the world’s largest and oldest library association and which provides funding, training and tools to most of the country’s 123,000 libraries, has become entangled in the education culture wars — the raging debates over what and how to teach about race, sex and gender — culminating in Tuesday’s senatorial name-check.
Like Lee, politicians and parents on the right increasingly paint the association, known as the ALA, as a defender of pornographic literature for children — tying their allegations into a broader conservative movement that asserts school libraries are filled with sexually explicit, inappropriate texts. (A 2022 tweet in which the organization’s president called herself “a Marxist lesbian” added to concerns.)</blockquote>
Hmm. So the problem is not that the ALA’s president calls herself a Marxist lesbian; the problem is that anyone noticed she tweeted that out publicly over the summer.
State libraries in Montana, Missouri, and Texas announced they were severing ties with the ALA, which is good. They should.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-ben-shapiro-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
Meanwhile, librarians and those on the political Left are defending the ALA as a key provider of money and skills for librarians. In particular, they are citing <a href="https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/book-ban-data#:~:text=OIF%20documented%201%2C269%20demands%20to,book%20challenges%20reported%20in%202021." target="_blank" rel="noopener">an ALA report</a> tracking 1,269 attempts to remove library books in 2022, the highest number of challenges to books since the ALA began compiling stats on the issue.
Good for parents for finally waking up and taking notice.
And the fact that parents fighting back against the indoctrination of their kids is considered Right-wing radicalism is an indication of how far the Left will go to vilify them.
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1 Ben Shapiro Editorial Series 03 2COPY2 copy

States Cutting Ties With Leftist American Library Association. Good.

Ben Shapiro

Leftists

Marxism

Quick quiz: Do you think public libraries should promote socialism? Do you think they should host drag queen story time for children? And do you think they should be allowed to discriminate against Christians? If you answered “no” to these questions, the Left-wing media likely thinks you’re a fascist.
The truth, of course, is a lot less sensational and a lot more straightforward. Simply put, progressive activists are using positions of influence and government resources to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marxist-lesbian-president-of-american-library-association-doubles-down-on-agenda-for-a-better-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">push their ideology</a> on the American people. This is especially apparent at the American Library Association (ALA), whose self-described “Marxist” president <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/aug/30/american-library-association-faces-backlash-over-m/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wants</a> to turn libraries into spaces of “queerness and difference rather than democracy and citizenship.”
As normal and sane people have noticed this trend, they have begun to push back, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/library-book-ban-association-withdraw-7f5743a9e464433a745697f9111d7f6b">resulting</a> in a slew of withdrawals from the ALA. This “exodus” isn’t about a “conservative book ban,” no matter what the Associated Press claims. This is about Americans not wanting themselves — or their children — to be subjected to Left-wing propaganda.
Critic Dan Kleinman puts it well <a href="https://twitter.com/SexHarassed">when he says</a> the problem with the ALA is that it has “changed from an organization that helped communities and used common sense into one that just promotes a view.” Similarly, Commissioner Diana Finegan of Florida’s Citrus County <a href="https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/local/county-cuts-funding-to-american-library-association/article_d7211d47-7266-5a9b-b100-97808b237d68.html">states</a>, “[l]ibraries should be educating the public, not indoctrinating.” She explains that the county removed the ALA’s annual fee from its budget because the government “does not need to give … tax dollars to any organization run by a Marxist.”
And there is little doubt that the ALA is using federal tax dollars to do its dirty work. Earlier this year, the organization <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/kirk-cameron-american-library-association-cancel-storytime-event">issued guidance</a> to prevent the Christian publishing company Brave Books from hosting events at public libraries. In response, Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and I sent a <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubioalaletterreligiousdiscrimination/">letter</a> to the Institute of Museum and Library Services demanding an investigation into the ALA’s blatant religious discrimination.
Meanwhile, scandals continue to flow from ALA leadership. On September 2, 2023, President Emily Drabinski <a href="https://karlyn.substack.com/p/exclusive-recording-american-library">attended</a> a socialist presentation on “fugitive pedagogy,” or “how to smuggle socialist ideas like Critical Race Theory into the classroom even when the law outlaws it.” Afterward, Drabinski said that libraries “need … to be a site of socialist organizing.” This is insane, even for a progressive organization.
The ALA’s defenders argue that those who leave the organization threaten “free access to ideas.” They also <a href="https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/local/it-is-wrong-it-is-so-wrong/article_3a739647-2e12-55cf-a1c5-66c916267b1f.html#:~:text=County%20cuts%20funding%20to%20American,on%20LGBTQ%20materials%2C%20drag%20que%E2%80%A6">call</a> those pushing back on the ALA “Nazis” and warn “that’s exactly how Hitler came to power.” It’s ironic, because the ALA is the censor, and it’s painfully obvious that the movement to abandon it is motivated by a desire for more freedom, not less.
Americans shouldn’t have toxic ideology pushed on them in libraries, just as they shouldn’t have it pushed on them in schools. Unless the ALA apologizes for its appalling behavior and corrects its course immediately, withholding membership dues is probably the sanest thing public officials can do.
Senator Marco Rubio represents the state of Florida and sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Library Sign

Library ‘Exodus’: Public Officials Are Right To Leave The American Library Association

Library 'Exodus': Public Officials Are Right To Leave The American Library Association

Marco Rubio

Opinion

School Library

The president of the American Library Association (ALA) is standing by her “Marxist” views as a backlash grows against the association among <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republican</a> lawmakers.
Emily Drabinski, a self-proclaimed “Marxist lesbian,” took over as president of the ALA in July. The ALA is the largest nonprofit trade organization for libraries, recent wielding its influence against efforts to <a href="https://news.wttw.com/2022/04/18/american-library-association-director-says-book-bans-aim-suppress-social-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ban</a> sexually explicit content from school libraries and to <a href="https://glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommend</a> dozens of LGBT books for minors.
The backlash against Drabinski began over a post she made to social media before taking her spot at the head of the ALA.
“I just cannot believe that a Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect of @ALALibrary,” Drabinski wrote in an April 2022 post. “I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity! And my mom is SO PROUD. I love you mom.”
Despite the backlash, she doubled-down in an interview with <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/american-library-association-president-marxist-lesbian-rcna98254" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a> published on Monday.
“I was excited to highlight and celebrate two aspects of my identity that are really important to me, and are often under a lot of scrutiny,” Drabinski said, adding that she wanted to be an example for other library employees who shared her identities. “I didn’t anticipate these kinds of targeted attacks being used as a bludgeon against library workers across the country. I really think that is regrettable, and I wish that wasn’t happening right now.”
The Montana State Library Commission became the first state commission to leave the ALA over Drabinski’s comments in July. Montana State Library Commissioner Tamara Hall <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/montana-library-commissioner-praises-move-leave-american-library-association-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> the decision, calling it a “statement” about “what’s right for Montana.”
“We’re pulling out based on the fact that our oath of office for Montana and for the federal government is in direct violation of [Drabinski’s] Marxist opinion,” Hall said at the time.
In addition to Montana, lawmakers in other states – including Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Wyoming – have led calls to separate off from the ALA over concerns about Drabinski’s Marxism and the political agenda of the ALA.

Banned Books Week 2022

‘Marxist Lesbian’ President Of American Library Association Doubles Down On Agenda ‘For A Better World’

Montana

The director of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/virginia">Virginia</a> public library has resigned following demands from outraged parents that the library be defunded over &#8220;pornographic&#8221; children&#8217;s books.
Michelle Ross <a href="https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/samuels-library-director-resigns-amid-controversy-over-banning-books/article_c838e016-a833-5e59-b426-6f1f94d3eccc.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigned</a> effective immediately as director of the Samuels Library in Front Royal in northern Virginia on Thursday. The move came during an emergency meeting of the Samuels Public Library Board of Trustees, who accepted her resignation.
“The board is 100 percent behind Michelle’s decision. We understand that it’s the best thing for her — her health and well being. We wish her well,” said Board of Trustees President Melody Hotek.
The library board has appointed Eileen Grady, a 21-year veteran of the library, as interim director and hopes to have a permanent director within six months.
Earlier this summer, a grassroots coalition of concerned parents and others called Clean Up Samuels petitioned for the removal of a slew of books they found objectionable, dozens of which they say are &#8220;pornographic.&#8221;
Clean Up Samuels has also called for the library staff and board of trustees to be replaced.
On June 6, hundreds of parents and others <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-parents-call-to-defund-public-library-over-pornographic-childrens-books-at-county-board-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">packed into</a> a Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting to protest the controversial children&#8217;s books. Nearly three dozen speakers <a href="https://royalexaminer.com/library-defunding-book-removal-advocates-samuels-library-defenders-clash-on-d-day-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> for defunding the library if 34 “pornographic” children’s books remained on the shelves. Many parents from the area’s robust Catholic community spoke during the public comment portion of the <a href="https://warrencountyva.new.swagit.com/videos/233312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meeting</a>.
“This is not literature. This is smut,” one Front Royal dad <a href="https://warrencountyva.new.swagit.com/videos/233312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the board after reading an excerpt about anal sex from a book titled “This Book Is Gay.”
A mom told the board that “sexually explicit content read during the wrong stage of development can do so much damage to a child’s psyche.”
“I don’t know if you have children, but raising a family takes a village. The library should not be the enemy of the family, but its ally,” the mom said.
Some speakers disagreed and <a href="https://royalexaminer.com/library-defunding-book-removal-advocates-samuels-library-defenders-clash-on-d-day-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> for continuing to fund the library with the controversial books still on the shelves.
Later in June, the Warren County Board of Supervisors responded to parents&#8217; demands by <a href="https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/warren-supervisors-withhold-75-of-library-funding/article_7f9038b3-46df-5179-a2b3-d85ef23e91bb.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voting</a> to withhold 75% of the library&#8217;s budget for the upcoming fiscal year until September, when the issue will be revisited.
County board member Delores Oates said they would &#8220;continue to work in good faith on policies that protect our children from sexually explicit material and ensure parents have control over their children’s reading choices.&#8221;
&#8220;We did not cut the budget. This action allows the library time to present its proposed policies to their board for approval and provides accountability for all of us to come to a resolution,&#8221; Oates said.
The Clean Up Samuels list of objectionable books <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vRzUaZiy2h4gi-c_4vMb0ngZQHCSdgUaob5PfDqfsWmQomGeG7TlCq6GV9KwiaCdJx98c47MIkdtGgh/pub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">includes</a> “It’s Perfectly Normal,” This Book Is Gay,” “This Is Why They Hate Us,” “Two Boys Kissing,” “She Gets The Girl,” “They Both Die At The End,” and “Anatomy Of A Single Girl,” among others.
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The group has three demands — first, remove the &#8220;pornographic&#8221; books in the children’s section, second, cut ties with the American Library Association and change library policy to acquire only age-appropriate materials (including accountability for library personnel who violate the policy), and third, replace the current library leadership, who have “violated public trust.”
Before she resigned, Ross previously told The Daily Wire that 134 titles are under review, some of which are on the Clean Up Samuels list.
“The options for reconsideration are to retain, relocate, or remove the material in question,” Ross said in a June email.
In the meantime, the library has taken several smaller steps to address parents&#8217; concerns. Last month, the library <a href="https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/samuels-library-director-resigns-amid-controversy-over-banning-books/article_c838e016-a833-5e59-b426-6f1f94d3eccc.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it would introduce new library cards that allow parents to restrict which sections their children can access as well as a “new adult” section for readers 16 and up.
Front Royal is home to Christendom College, a tiny Catholic liberal arts school. Many graduates stay in the area and start families. The town is also the headquarters of Seton Home Study School, a Catholic-accredited homeschool distance school that enrolls thousands of homeschool students.

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