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Gay Book Ban
Threats Spread
by Doreen
Brandt 365Gay.com
From the Web,
May 24, 2005
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Washington -- Louisiana has
become the third state to consider placing restrictions on children's books with
gay themes.
State Rep. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, has filed legislation calling on all public
libraries to remove books that feature same-sex parents or gay characters from
the children's book sections and confine it "exclusively for adult access and
distribution."
The resolution says "materials concerning human sexuality and those of an
arguably prurient nature should not be readily available to children, nor should
the distribution of such materials be supported by public funds."
If passed, the resolution would not have the force of law but would exert
pressure on publicly funded libraries.
The measure has been assigned to the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and
Cultural Affairs, but no date for a hearing has been set.
Crowe said he filed the resolution after being contacted by a constituent who
said his 4-year-old daughter had picked out a book titled "King and King" from
the children's section of her local library.
King and King is aimed at elementary school children and helps teach diversity.
The book, by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland, tells the story of Prince Bertie
who searches for love through a bevy of eligible princesses before falling for
Prince Lee.
Crowe says his bill is not censorship, but civil rights groups disagree.
"This was entirely inappropriate to make this into a political issue," said Joe
Cook, executive director of the Louisiana chapter of the American Civil
Liberties Union. "It, unfortunately, feeds into a mind-set of a certain
segment of society that wants to demonize people who are gay, and that is not in
keeping with the spirit of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It's
an example of intolerance. Unfortunately, we have politicians who want to
exploit the intolerance and use it to their political advantage."
A similar resolution was passed in Oklahoma earlier this month.
The resolution's sponsor, Rep. Sally Kern (R-Oklahoma City) called "King and
King" "obscene".
Two days later Tulsa libraries moved gay themed children's books to an Adults
Only section but, the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Library System Board could not
reach a decision on moving the books at a public meeting that attracted hundreds
of people.
Cay rights activists rallied in front of library.
"The children are not going to be harmed by any of these books," said Jim Craig,
of the Interfaith Diversity Association.
"This is an opportunity for parents to help their children read the books they
want to read -- and to read the books with the children. This is also an
effort by the Legislature to remove library autonomy, and the libraries need to
have control over their own collections."
The board will take up the issue again at its next meeting.
In February a bill that would have forced schools to use only books that omitted
any reference to gay families died when it failed to win the endorsement of the
Arkansas' Senate Education Committee.
The committee cast a 3 - 3 tie vote. The bill needed at least four votes
to move to the Senate floor. It had already passed the House.
In Alabama a state lawmaker wants to go further than banning gay themed books.
Representative Gerald Allen, a Republican, has filed legislation to ban gay
speech from any institution which receives state money.
His bill would bar any representation of homosexuality in schools, libraries,
and state funded universities.
"We have a culture that's in deep trouble," Allen said.
If his bill became law, public school textbooks could not present views on
homosexuality, college theater groups would not be able to perform plays like
the Tennessee Williams classic "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" or The Laramie Project,
and public school libraries could not display books that include lesbianism like
Alice Walker's "The Color Purple."
Books featuring gay families or characters also are under attack in local school
and library districts in at least a half dozen states.
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