A public comment period is ending soon on a proposed Alabama Public Library Service code change that would ban transgender books for minors.
Members of the public have until 4:30 p.m. Oct. 14 to make their voices heard in writing. Written comments must be signed and include a full name and address and can be mailed or hand-delivered to Vanessa Carr, executive secretary at the Alabama Public Library Service at 6030 Monticello Drive, Montgomery, AL 36117.
The code change would define any material that “promotes, encourages, or positively depicts transgender procedures, gender ideology, or the concept of more than two biological genders” as inappropriate for children and youth.
Last year when the APLS held a public comment session on code changes, more than 6,000 written public comments were received with a near-even split between support and opposition.
Clean Up Alabama is calling on the board to go even further in its code change to also declare positive depictions of “sexual orientation” as inappropriate for youth and ensure that such material is totally banned from the library and not just youth sections. It also requests the board’s definition of “sexually explicit” be codified in the rule change to ensure it is binding on libraries. The group has a form letter to this end.
The last time the APLS held a public comment session, it amended its rule change at the last minute to adopt the language proposed by Clean Up Alabama despite the original changes proposed by Gov. Kay Ivey being much milder.
Read Freely Alabama is also distributing a form letter, calling the proposed changes “Extreme government overreach” and a violation of Alabamian’s Constitutional rights. Read Freely Alabama is currently engaged in a lawsuit against the Autauga-Prattville Public Library for similar policies implemented there and is awaiting a ruling on a preliminary injunction.
For those who cannot submit a written comment by Oct. 14, or would just rather deliver remarks to the board in person, there will be a public hearing at 10 a.m. on Oct. 21 at the APLS office.
