Moms for Liberty Advocates Madison Council to Leverage Library Funding
On Tuesday, residents associated with Moms for Liberty appealed to the Madison City Council to withhold funding for the Huntsville Madison County Public Library system unless policies are updated to limit LGBTQ books. These citizens argued that the library’s policies go against new regulations from the Alabama Public Library Service, putting the library at risk of losing over half a million dollars in state funding.
Focus on Transgender Content
The residents advocated for the removal of “sexually explicit” books from children and young adult sections and strongly highlighted issues pertaining to transgenderism. “At a very young age, you’re exposing children to transgenderism, which, in my opinion, is inappropriate,” declares Kathy Young, referring to a book she discovered in the library.
Protecting Children From Adult Content
The founder of Madison County Moms for Liberty, Emily Jones, supported the new policies from APLS, emphasizing the aim to prevent children from checking out unfavorable adult-intended books. Jones specifically pointed out controversial sex education materials, including a book that presents childlike illustrations of body parts and sexual acts.
Another resident, Carissa Callan, suggested that the library’s current policies could potentially foster “porn-addicted, sexually obsessed people.” Callan compared the availability of certain books in the library to the crime of electronic solicitation and grooming of a minor, arguing that such material belongs in the adult section or, better yet, in the trash.
Consequences of Ignoring APLS Policies
The group warned the council about losing over half a million dollars in state funding if the library refused to conform to the incoming policies from APLS. Although the complaints were heavily focused on LGBTQ content, the residents were primarily concerned about the sexual content in the books targeted towards minors.
However, the books specifically mentioned in the complaint did not appear to clearly violate APLS code. The LGBTQ books complained about seemed to lack sexual content, while the other books could be considered as age-appropriate instructional material on human biology and anatomy.
APLS Response and Future Implications
APLS board member and ALGOP chair, John Wahl, confessed to being unsure about who should make the final decision regarding the appropriateness of these books for minors. Meanwhile, Amy Minton, a new APLS board member, expressed her desire to keep LGBTQ content away from the children’s section.
As the APLS code changes will not be confirmed until July, there have been no indications from APLS so far on whether the Huntsville Madison County Public Library system is at risk of losing state funding.
