This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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When I clicked open an email from the Free Library of Philadelphia earlier this week, I figured one of two things had happened. Either I’d suddenly time-traveled back seven years, or I was hallucinating. Because isn’t <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-year-the-dei-tide-turned">DEI falling out of fashion</a> lately?
There’s proof that it is. But clearly not at libraries. This was the image the Free Library chose to advertise its summer reading program:
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The Free Library of Philadelphia is having a normal one. <a href="https://t.co/J0PXrABHUB">pic.twitter.com/J0PXrABHUB</a>
— Amanda Harding (@iamdeeda) <a href="https://x.com/iamdeeda/status/2062528997775351941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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It honestly gets funnier the longer you look at it. Every progressive group is subtly represented in a program that, ultimately, is aimed at children. 
The accompanying <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/assets/pdf/programs/summerreading/activity-tracker/SUM26-activity-tracker.pdf">activity tracker</a> is full of ultra-woke suggested titles, including “Homebody” by Theo Parish, described as “a hopeful story of coming home to your nonbinary identity,” and “Into the Streets: A Young Person’s Visual History of Protest in the United States” by Marke Bieschke. 
Ubiquitous drag queen story hours nationwide, among other affronts to common decency, have already shown that public libraries were successfully hijacked by the radical Left years ago. But it’s still jarring to encounter something as benign as summer reading programs gone totally off the rails. 
The launch of these über-progressive summer reading initiatives comes at the same time Usha Vance, the second lady of the United States, is rolling out her summer reading challenge. The contrast is striking.
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Calling all readers: My Summer Reading Challenge is back! Visit <a href="https://t.co/KqGhZTJjUu">https://t.co/KqGhZTJjUu</a> TODAY to download your reading log and get started. Your next summer adventure is just one page away! <a href="https://t.co/isrw3QZ9FS">pic.twitter.com/isrw3QZ9FS</a>
— Second Lady Usha Vance (@SLOTUS) <a href="https://x.com/SLOTUS/status/2061422344229286168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Predictably, this launch has been mostly ignored by mainstream media. But ABC did <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/usha-vance-unveils-2nd-annual-summer-reading-challenge/story?id=133469716">interview</a> the second lady to discuss the program.
“Last year it was an idea that we had really at the last minute as we were thinking about ways to enhance childhood literacy and get kids reading over the summer and sort of stave off some of the summer learning loss that traditionally happens every year,&#8221; Vance told the outlet. &#8220;So we did a little pilot program and it was a success beyond what we had hoped.”
“This year we&#8217;re having a big rollout all over the country,” she continued, mentioning partnerships with schools, libraries, and other institutions nationwide. (One of those is probably not the Free Library of Philadelphia, based on the type of content it&#8217;s promoting.)
Instead of recommending books about protests, gender fluidity, and whether rivers have feelings, Vance said the premise of the White House’s summer reading program is easy for parents to follow.
“Our summer reading challenge is really simple. All kids have to do is pick up 12 books, anything that they like,&#8221; the second lady told ABC. &#8220;If a kid likes reading about squirrels, as one did last year, read 12 books about squirrels. If a kid loves history, read books about history.&#8221;
&#8220;So you read those books, write them down on a log and send them to whitehouse.gov/read and we&#8217;ll receive them, send a certificate,” Vance added.
This basic and effective summer reading program doesn’t push an agenda. Instead, kids are encouraged to explore topics they care about and read books that correspond with their interests. Meanwhile, libraries nationwide are pushing progressive garbage to kids via summer reading programs. 
On the San Francisco Public Library’s list of <a href="https://sfpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/378227437/3014497577">22 recommended books</a> for grades 3 to 5, the only white character featured in the cover art is a girl learning the art of witchcraft. The Chicago Public Library <a href="https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/200049033/3014416370">suggests</a> a children&#8217;s version of Michelle Obama’s memoir, “Becoming.” 
And then there’s the Phoenix Public Library, whose <a href="https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/browse/staff-picks/kids/summer-reading-lists/6th-to-8th-grade">list</a> of books for children in grades 6 through 8 includes “We’re in This Together” by activist Linda Sarsour, who is best known for co-organizing the Women’s March. 
“Sarsour shares the memories that shaped her into the activist she is today, and how these pivotal moments in her life led her to being an organizer in one of the largest single-day protests in US history,&#8221; the <a href="https://discover.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/search/card?recordId=6929133">description</a> reads. &#8220;From the Brooklyn bodega her father owned to the streets of Washington, DC, Linda&#8217;s story as a daughter of Palestinian immigrants is a moving portrayal of what it means to find your voice in your youth and use it for the good of others as an adult.”
Encouraging children to read in the summer is great. Subtly interspersing ultra-woke titles into their &#8220;to be read&#8221; piles is diabolical. This summer, it would be wise for parents to take a good, long look at their local library before signing up for any summer reading challenges. 
As for the Free Library of Philadelphia: 2019 called, and they want their performative activism back.

Boy in elementary school library

Parents Send Kids To Read. Libraries Have Other Plans.

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Upstream

Facing down leftist vitriol and activist-driven anger, a Tennessee library board voted to fire a library director who refused to follow a directive aimed at shielding kids browsing library shelves from transgender ideology. 
The Rutherford County Library board voted 8-3 on Monday to fire director Luanne James after she refused their direction to move transgender-themed books from the children’s section of the library to the adult section. Leftist activists showed up in force to the board meeting in Murfreesboro, a suburb of Nashville, where they repeatedly disrupted the meeting with yelling and screaming. 
The vote came after the board directed James to move books with transgender themes to the adult section of the library, where they could still be checked out by parents or by kids with parental approval. James refused to comply with the board, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/11FG5BCECCya_Zj1K-XIHT9g16JDSMgOt/view">claiming</a> that moving the books to a different location in the library would violate the First Amendment. 
Books the board directed moved to the adult section included &#8220;The Gender Wheel,&#8221; &#8220;Who Are You? The Kids Guide to Gender Identity,&#8221; and &#8220;When Aidan Became A Brother&#8221; — a picture book about a gender-confused girl who started identifying as a boy.
&#8220;The law was made to protect the most vulnerable, which is children. Follow the law,&#8221; Rutherford County school board member Caleb Tidwell said during public comment at the meeting. &#8220;Protect the children. Hold the line.&#8221;
When given a chance to speak during the meeting, James said she would not change her mind. 
“I stand by my decision. I will not change my mind,” she said. In a later statement, she said she lost her job because she was fired for protecting &#8220;the rights of all community members to access books and information.&#8221;
&#8220;I refused to do so because I believe such action constitutes censorship, violates the First Amendment, and goes against my duty to uphold intellectual freedom under American Library Association guidelines,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Librarians should not be used as a filter for political agendas. I stood up for the right to read — standing for the citizens of Rutherford County. I believe my firing is an unlawful act of viewpoint discrimination. This action hurts library patrons, not just the librarian.&#8221;
Footage from the meeting revealed the crowd erupting in anger at the board&#8217;s decision to fire her. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/poXqkA_MviU?si=n3hcQDTQV1HbRRFE&amp;clip=UgkxEBFbI_5utajAqHkMd2sYmzMoOA5Ag72R&amp;clipt=EPaCywEY1tfOAQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
After the vote, the crowd angrily yelled and gestured toward board members who voted to fire James. 
Footage captured by local news outlets showed how the balcony of the meeting room was filled with protesters wearing matching shirts and chanting. Leftist groups like the ACLU of Tennessee and the Rutherford County Library Alliance had organized support for James. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Rutherford County Library Board fires director over book dispute" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nUEmuEeSoAI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ultimately the board said they should be able to set library system policy.
&#8220;The Executive Director’s refusal to implement a lawful directive of the Rutherford County Library Board constitutes insubordination,&#8221; Board Chair Cody York said in the days leading up to the vote. &#8220;When a Director refuses to carry out a duly adopted Board decision, it undermines the governance of the institution and cannot be ignored.&#8221;
James said she was exploring all legal options after the firing while the library board has also retained a lawyer over the matter.
Advocates for moving the books argued that it was necessary to comply with state laws related to ensuring kids have access to age-appropriate materials and President Donald Trump’s executive actions on transgender ideology. 
Some media outlets have suggested books were directed to be moved because of themes related to “female empowerment” and “diversity and inclusion.” Those are references to notes put on lists of disputed books by library staff, not the board. 
Prior to the board’s directive to move the books related to transgender ideology, library staff at Rutherford County Library System compiled a list of over 2,000 books they had flagged for possible compliance with Tennessee law. Staffers flagged books about the Bible and Aesop’s Fables, among others, for review. 
This contrasted with books flagged by the board, which focused primarily on materials related to transgender ideology and graphic violence. 
The fight over books in Rutherford County has been ongoing for several years — and mirrors fights across the country — and pits concerned parents against left-wing activists for control of school and public libraries.
Last year, 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">voted</a> to remove all books promoting transgenderism to children from its system as they passed a resolution to “remove material that promotes, encourages, advocates for or normalizes transgenderism or ‘gender confusion’ in minors.”
That effort was later withdrawn over fears of a lawsuit. The latest discussions involve only moving books, not removing them from the library system entirely. Several years ago, the board did <a href="https://wpln.org/post/rutherford-countys-library-system-bans-four-books-with-lgbtq-themes-after-a-murfreesboro-decency-ordinance/">direct</a> the complete removal of the book “Let’s Talk About It,” from the circulation. The book contains sexually explicit illustrations of sex and genitalia.

MixCollage-01-Apr-2026-01-48-PM-5308

Leftist Crowd Melts Down After Librarian Fired For Pushing Trans Agenda On Kids

radical gender ideology

Tennessee

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Actor Kirk Cameron has spent the last several years bravely engaging in the culture war. 
Despite a history in Hollywood, however, the “Growing Pains” alum has been doing battle in public libraries. In an interview with The Daily Wire&#8217;s “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251224-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel">Morning Wire</a>” released on Wednesday, Cameron discussed why he believes the fight begins with young people.
Cameron said it was becoming a father and that really got him thinking about these issues. “Once you become a dad, and now I’m a grandfather, I’m beginning to think legacy,” he told Morning Wire. “I’m beginning to think of how can I help my children succeed and win.”
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For Cameron, that meant investing in “the moral spiritual health of my children and my grandchildren” by creating content that does not “bend with the political winds.” He pointed to beloved figures like Mr. Rogers and asked, “Who’s our guy today who’s gonna do that?&#8230; If not me, then who?”
This inspired Cameron to launch Brave Books and the children’s television series “Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk.” He described reception as divided along the Right and Left political spectrum. 
“Well, it depends on who you ask,” Cameron said of the reception. “The drag queens don’t like the books much. And the libraries that support progressive agendas don’t like me entering much.”
Cameron recounted being denied access to roughly 50 public libraries, including those that host drag queen story hours, because, he was told their “values don’t align.” 
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“I thought the rules were… diversity, equity, and inclusion,” he said. “Why do you exclude me? Why not diversity of thought instead of this monoculture that the kids are getting?”
When libraries ultimately reversed course after being threatened with legal action, Cameron said the response from families was overwhelming. “Thousands of parents and grandparents showed up and said, ‘Thank you. We don’t want this other stuff, but we’re being marginalized and silenced.’”
Critics often frame Christian values as inherently discriminatory. Cameron rejected that premise outright. “Every view is inherently discriminatory,” he said, “particularly the progressive inclusive view, as I experienced.”
The TV star quipped that he’s been “run over by the tolerance bus several times.”
“If someone’s coming at you with a sign that says ‘love everybody,’ be careful,” Cameron added. “They might whack you over the head with it.”
Cameron told Morning Wire that the root of the problem is conflicting worldviews. “There are ideas that lead to liberty and blessing, and then there’s ideas that don’t,” he said. The TV star said his own values are “the value set of Moses that’s been around for thousands of years and produced the world’s greatest civilizations.”
Cameron said he’s been encouraged by recent changes in the culture. “Three years ago we were being locked out of public libraries,” he said. “This last year we were invited by the Library of Congress… so that we could read these same books.”
“Whoever rocks the cradle rules the future,” Cameron said of inspiring the youngest generation. “Whoever gets to tell the kids the bedtime stories… you’re shaping the next generation’s hearts and minds.”

Kirk Cameron

Kirk Cameron: Why Helping Children ‘Succeed And Win’ Matters More Than Ever

Kirk Cameron Discusses Faith, Children’s Media, And Winning Back The Culture

Children

Culture

Faith

Social Issues

It all started with one book reading being denied at more than 50 public libraries even as Drag Queen Story Hours across America were welcomed with open arms. This was enough for actor and author Kirk Cameron to go on a mission to create something different, and now, See You at the Library returned for its third year this past Saturday, August 16.
This year, over 200 story hours were hosted in libraries across the country, uniting families around timeless values like faith, family, and freedom.
The flagship gathering this year took place in the heart of Washington, D.C., at the Library of Congress. The historic event featured special guest readers Kirk Cameron, “Duck Dynasty” alum Missy Robertson, and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles. Held in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education’s Center of Faith, the moment marked a turning point, elevating the event from a grassroots effort to a national movement.
Cameron spoke candidly about what was at stake, telling the assembled crowd, “At the end of the day, it is about us recognizing that it is our job, not his, not theirs, to turn our country back to what made her great in the first place — faith, moral integrity, and courage.” He said America will either experience a “great awakening” or a “rude awakening” depending on the moral courage of its people.
Robertson echoed his words, saying, “When we say we are coming back as a country, we are saying we are coming back to the values that God wrote on each of our hearts.”
<div id="attachment_962541" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-962541" class="size-large wp-image-962541" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Michael-Knowles-864x576.jpg" alt="Michael Knowles" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Michael-Knowles-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Michael-Knowles-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Michael-Knowles-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Michael-Knowles.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />See You At the Library</div>
Knowles said a love of reading is the future. “Cultivating a love of reading, a love of stories, and the written word, and the spoken word is not just about entertaining yourself or getting through school. It’s essential to our entire understanding of the world and how we live our lives.”
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See You at the Library is continuing to grow, despite the Left’s efforts to shut it down.

Kirk Cameron’s Story Hour Lands At Library Of Congress, Featuring Michael Knowles

Drag Queen story hour

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U.S.

The National Library of Scotland (NLS) is under fire after Amina Shah, Scotland’s national librarian and the NLS chief executive, opted not to include a pro-women&#8217;s rights book in a centenary display.
The NLS initially asked the public for nominations, calling the display a &#8220;love letter&#8221; to reading and literacy and suggesting that people submit titles that had inspired and encouraged their love of reading — and titles that received a certain number of nominations were to be included in the planned ten-month display.
One book that received more than double the requisite number of nominations was &#8220;The Women Who Wouldn&#8217;t Wheesht&#8221; — a series of essays that chronicled the fight between feminists like &#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; author J.K. Rowling who questioned radical gender ideology and former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon&#8217;s gender self-identification law. The title comes from their refusal to remain silent — in the Gaelic &#8220;haud yer wheesht&#8221; — while radical trans activists effectively erased women.
Despite meeting the threshold for display, &#8220;The Women Who Wouldn&#8217;t Wheesht&#8221; was banned by the NLS after LGBT staffers complained that it was &#8220;hate speech.&#8221; Shah claimed that she&#8217;d made the decision in light of &#8220;the potential impact on key stakeholders&#8221; who could potentially &#8220;withdraw support for the exhibition and the centenary&#8221; altogether.
Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn, who edited the book, sent a letter to Shah questioning the decision.
&#8220;We have written to the National Librarian about her decision to remove The Women Who Wouldn&#8217;t Wheesht from the centenary exhibition for the National Library of Scotland, Dear Library, in response to complaints from its LGBT staff network,&#8221; an X post including the letter explained.
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We have written to the National Librarian about her decision to remove The Women Who Wouldn&#8217;t Wheesht from the centenary exhibition for the National Library of Scotland, Dear Library, in response to complaints from its LGBT staff network. 1/2 <a href="https://t.co/lQlv2x0tsO">pic.twitter.com/lQlv2x0tsO</a>
— The Frontline (@EthelWrites) <a href="https://twitter.com/EthelWrites/status/1955390550494023958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The letter reads, in part:
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This is about more than the book. This is the legacy of a decade of political leadership which has demonized and delegitimized people who refused to conform to the approved narrative on sex and gender identity.
The material released also lifts the lid on the network of discrimination and censorship which operates across Scotland’s public institutions with impunity through staff networks and other activist groups, enabled by weak leadership.
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For Women Scotland also issued a statement criticizing the NLS, saying, &#8220;Just when we thought censorship in Scotland couldn&#8217;t get any worse, it emerges that @natlibscot decided to remove WWWW from an exhibition due to tantrums from the staff LGBT group. By caving to this, the library lends weight to their wholly untruthful objections to the book.&#8221;
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Just when we thought censorship in Scotland couldn&#8217;t get any worse, it emerges that <a href="https://twitter.com/natlibscot?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@natlibscot</a> decided to remove WWWW from an exhibition due to tantrums from the staff LGBT group.
By caving to this, the library lends weight to their wholly untruthful objections to the book. <a href="https://t.co/3TJEGV8Hyp">https://t.co/3TJEGV8Hyp</a>
— For Women Scotland (@ForWomenScot) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForWomenScot/status/1955391664215953477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The Times reports that &#8216;An earlier decision to include the text was reversed after an internal LGBT staff network claimed including it would cause “severe harm” and threatened to “notify LGBT+ partners of the library’s endorsement&#8221; of it,'&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;What &#8216;harm&#8217;? Is this book uniquely likely to cause bad paper cuts? &#8216;An internal equality assessment warned that refusing to include the book could be seen as “a form of censorship which undermines our public duty as a national library”&#8217; Well, duh!&#8221;

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald” UK Premiere – Red Carpet Arrivals

Pro-Women’s Rights Book Yanked From Scottish Library Display After LGBT Tantrum

Pro-Women's Rights Book Yanked From Scottish Library Display After LGBT Tantrum

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President Donald Trump fired the top librarian at the Library of Congress on Thursday, just days after a conservative watchdog group highlighted her promotion of liberal policies. 
Carla Hayden, who has led the Library of Congress since her appointment by President Barack Obama in 2016, received an email on Thursday informing her that she had been fired. Hayden was <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14665331/donald-trump-library-congress-carla-hayden.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> this week by the American Accountability Foundation, a non-profit government oversight and research organization, for her opposition to restricting minors&#8217; access to sexually-themed books. 
“Carla,&#8221; the email from Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel Trent Morse said. &#8220;On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”
The American Accountability Foundation praised the firing. 
“THANK YOU [President Trump]!!!! Woke &amp; radical Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has been fired!” the organization posted on X. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THANK YOU <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>!!!!
Woke &amp; radical Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has been fired!🔥🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/memq7ApcK8">https://t.co/memq7ApcK8</a>
— American Accountability Foundation (@Theswampmonitor) <a href="https://twitter.com/Theswampmonitor/status/1920666471585263924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On Tuesday, the organization called for Trump to fire Hayden and the Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter.
“The President and his team have done an admirable and long-needed job cleaning out deep state liberals from the federal government. It is time they show Carla Hayden and Shira Perlmutter the door and return an America First agenda to the nation&#8217;s intellectual property regulation,” American Accountability Foundation President Tom Jones told The Daily Mail. 
Hayden, whose term was set to expire in 2016, has a history of <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Carla+Hayden&amp;order=desc&amp;sort=D">donating</a> to Democratic candidates, including $3,000 to Obama’s presidential campaigns. She was also criticized in 2022 after the Library of Congress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lizzo-plays-200-year-old-crystal-flute-lent-from-the-library-of-congress-b-i-just-twerked-and-played-james-madisons-flute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lent</a> a 200-year-old crystal flute that once belonged to President James Madison to rap artist Lizzo to play at a concert. 
“B****, I just twerked and played James Madison’s flute from the 1800s!” Lizzo said at the time.
Democrats protested the firing, saying it was part of Trump’s “assault on America’s libraries.” 
“While President Trump wants to ban books and tell Americans what to read – or not to read at all, Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone,” New Mexico Democrat Senator Martin Heinrich said.
Hayden&#8217;s termination came the same day that acting FEMA Director Cameron Hamilton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-fema-official-fired-after-saying-he-doesnt-think-agency-should-be-dismantled?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Top+FEMA+Official+Fired+After+Saying+He+Doesn’t+Think+Agency+Should+Be+Dismantled" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was fired</a> after he told lawmakers that he didn&#8217;t support dismantling FEMA, as Trump has proposed multiple times.

2024 National Book Festival

Trump Fires ‘Woke’ Official Who Headed Library Of Congress

Barack Obama

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Fired

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

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

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

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

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

Obscenity

West Virginia

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