Grassroots organizations, parents, grandparents, and community members have expressed concern about specific books available in public library children’s sections in recent months. We believe these books target children, unapologetically exposing them to sexual content that brings confusion and harm to their innocent minds and bodies.
What exactly are we talking about? Here is an example from the teen section of Fairhope Public Library:
Entitled, “A Quick & Easy Guide To Queer & Trans Identities,” it sells an immediate lie, for is there anything quick and easy about being trans or queer?
The book references sexuality and is for 7th-9th graders. The second screenshot demonstrates the book’s suggestive marketing to teens.
Remember being a teen? Your body grew, things changed, and you were uncomfortable and insecure. Those are the kids whose attention this book wants to capture.
Who is benefiting from this suggestive marketing to children, and who is responsible for protecting them in spaces where parents are not in control of the content displayed?
To give you a better understanding of what’s in our libraries, below are a few examples of the 100 questionable titles we have found in Baldwin County Public libraries. These words are disturbing to read; but if a 3rd grader can read them, so can you.
“All Boys Aren't Blue,” by George Johnson
- AR Reading Level: 6.4 (5th graders)
- Found at Fairhope, Foley, and Bay Minette libraries
- Contains sexual nudity, sexual assault, alternate gender ideologies, drug use, and incest.
- Profanity: A** (2) F*gg*t/F*g (13) F*ck (2) P*ss (1) Sh*t (11).
“Grown,” by Tiffany Jackson
- AR Reading level: 3.9 (3rd graders)
- Found at Fairhope and Bay Minette libraries
- Contains sexual assault, sexual nudity, violence, alcohol, drug abuse, and pedophilia.
- Profanity: A** (17) B*tch (9) D*ck (1) F*ck (23) P*ss (4) Sh*t (32)
“Glass,” by Ellen Hopkins
- AR Reading Level: 3.7 (3rd-graders)
- Found at Robertsdale, Spanish Fort, and Fairhope libraries
- Contains inexplicit sexual activity, suicidal ideation, and drug and alcohol abuse by minors, drug use between a father and daughter, oral sex, and abortion.
- Profanity: A** (1) B*tch (6) F*ck (23) P*ss (10) Pr*ck (2) Sh*t (22) T*t (1)
“Shine,” by Lauren Myracle
- AR Reading Level: 4 (4th graders)
- Found at Fairhope Library
- Features a 13-year-old girl who discovers hidden secrets about drugs, alcohol, and sexuality. Contains derogatory terms, alternate sexualities, pedophilia, sexual assault, sexual nudity, drug and alcohol use by minors, and violence.
- Profanity: A** (3) B*tch (7) C*ck (2) D*ck (1) D*k* (1) F*g/F*gg*t (27) F*ck (18) P*ss (3) P*ssy (1) Sh*t (19)
“Loveless,” by Alice Oseman
- AR Reading level: 4.9 (4th graders)
- Found at Fairhope, Orange Beach, Foley, and Spanish Fort libraries
- Contains explicit sexual activities, derogatory terms, alternate sexualities, alternate gender ideologies, and alcohol use by minors.
- Profanity: A** (15) B*tch (2) D*ck (4) F*ck (132) G*dd*mn (1) P*ss (8) Qu**r (26) Sh*t (69) T*t (1)
By allowing these books to remain in the children's section of the library, Alabama Code Section 13A-12-200.1(11) is violated. That code defines "harmful to minors" as follows:
a. The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the material, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest of minors; and
b. The material depicts or describes sexual conduct, breast nudity or genital nudity, in a way which is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community with respect to what is suitable for minors; and
c. A reasonable person would find that the material, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors;
The agenda promoting these books does not care if you go to church, volunteer in your community, serve on a board for the county, or rescue puppies. No family is immune to evil that covets our children's minds, bodies, and souls.
By keeping these books in the children’s section, we give a platform to authors targeting our children, using our taxpayer dollars to do so. These books are often stocked without the librarian reading them, taking the publisher's word that the book is appropriate. How can the profiteer be trusted to accurately describe the content when money is the goal?
A compromise would be to create an LGBTQ+ section in the adult area and relocate all questionable books there. Parents who want their children to read these books will know where to find them; parents who don't can avoid this section. Sprinkling these books throughout the children's section can cause confusion for the children and difficulty for parents, as they are seemingly innocent and stumbled upon unknowingly.
The governor recommends that state aid for local libraries be contingent on 1) the adoption of sensible policies to facilitate greater parental supervision of children; 2) require all expenditures of public funds to the American Library Association be approved by the relevant governing authority in an open, public meeting; and 3) reaffirm local libraries’ ability to respond to parental concerns about sexually explicit or other inappropriate materials.
We must protect all children. That means LGBTQ+ children, too. If a child is confused and struggling, they shouldn't be able to get their feelings validated by a library book without their caregiver knowing.
The grassroots groups in Baldwin County are organized and growing into a majority. We strongly urge all municipalities within Baldwin County to act and RELOCATE these books.
We understand this will be an undertaking, and we are more than willing to share our research, volunteering to help relocate the books. Failure to do so may subject city and county municipalities and all individuals complicit in allowing books referencing these mature sexual themes to civil/criminal liability. Voters want these books relocated.
Signed in honor and protection of our children,
Baldwin County Conservative Coalition
The Baldwin County Conservative Coalition (BCCC) is an organized group of leaders, each leading their own grassroots organization in Baldwin County. They come together to have a maximum positive impact in our community.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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