In the ongoing battle over the content of America’s libraries, Alabama finds itself at the forefront of a divisive struggle. Conservative activists associated with Clean Up Alabama, a Prattville-based nonprofit organization, are vehemently pushing for the removal of LGBTQ+ inclusive books and other materials they deem “controversial.” Their claims, however, falsely accuse librarians of promoting pornography to underage readers.
Clean Up Alabama alleges that libraries across the state are stocking books designed to “confuse” children about sexuality and expose them to inappropriate material. The group’s primary objective is to eliminate what they label as “pornographic, obscene, and indecent books” from library sections targeted at minors. Furthermore, they advocate for libraries to disassociate from the American Library Association (ALA), accusing it of promoting leftist progressive values in traditional communities.
To achieve their goals, Clean Up Alabama aims to eliminate the exemption granted to libraries under the state’s Anti-Obscenity Enforcement Act, which prohibits materials deemed “patently offensive” to prevailing community standards for minors. Violators of this law face hefty fines and even imprisonment. However, the current law excludes public libraries and their employees.
Clean Up Alabama seeks to broaden the law’s scope to encompass LGBTQ+ content, thus classifying it as “sexual content” in Alabama. This move would categorize queer literature as “harmful to minors” under state law, potentially leading to its removal from library shelves.
The controversy has not been without its consequences. The Alabama Library Association has reported that library staff and board members have faced “public harassment, verbal attacks, and threats” as a result of conservative campaigns targeting LGBTQ+ books and other inclusive materials.
This recent campaign in Prattville emerged during discussions about a contract that could have altered how books are handled at a local library and jeopardized its funding. While some residents advocated for the removal of LGBTQ+ books, others argued for their preservation for future generations. Ultimately, the Prattville City Council rejected the contract, maintaining the library’s autonomy.
Governor Kay Ivey weighed in on the matter, expressing concerns about the environment libraries provide to families and children. While emphasizing the importance of parental supervision, Ivey raised objections to the exposure of children to “inappropriate, sexually suggestive materials.” The Alabama Library Association, on the other hand, denounced efforts to censor or restrict access to materials based on LGBTQ+ content, underlining the growing wave of organized censorship attempts across the state and the nation. These efforts often target materials addressing race, racism, sexual orientation, and gender identity, resulting in harassment and threats against library personnel.
As Alabama’s libraries become the battleground for this cultural clash, the debate over the availability of LGBTQ+ literature to young readers underscores the broader struggle for diversity and inclusion in the United States’ public spaces.