Can they do this? Should they?
Those who oppose moving or banning books speak about the need for LGBTQ+ youths to have access to nonfiction books about sex, gender identity and fiction books with central gay characters.
They call it censorship to move books out of the teen and children’s sections.
Those who support the move say they’re trying to protect children from stumbling upon pornography and obscenity at the library.
As a citizen, Lunsford said, he doesn’t believe tax dollars should be used to support an industry that prints erotica in children’s books. As a parent, he said he doesn’t think it’s good for children to be looking at what’s in some of the books.
Landry said his efforts stem from parental concerns that children under 18 have easy access to sexually explicit materials in libraries.
“It is about protecting the innocence of children and giving parents a say in what content they are exposed to,” Landry told reporters.
Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana, in a recent statement, said the state and nation continue to grapple with the legacy of oppression against people of color, women and LGBTQ+ people.
“Suppressing information about these ideas opens the door to suppression of any others that politicians don’t like,” Odoms wrote. “And for countless LGBTQ+ youth who face bullying, isolation and depression in their communities, representation in books and literature can be a lifesaving refuge.”
Reshelving certain books, the Louisiana Library Association said in a statement in response to Landry’s report, creates a scenario where books, and the people they’re written about, will be stigmatized.
For those alleging there are obscene, even pornographic, books in public libraries, Ken Paulson, director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, said obscenity is legally defined as content that is prurient with no redeeming value.
Leave a Reply