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Alabama Library Board Sets November Vote on Rule Limiting Transgender-Themed Books in Youth Sections

A November vote will decide whether youth sections exclude books that positively depict transgender topics.

Overview

  • At a Tuesday public hearing in Montgomery, dozens offered sharply divided testimony on the proposal.
  • The draft rule deems any material that positively depicts transgender procedures, gender ideology, or more than two biological genders inappropriate for children and youth.
  • Board chair John Wahl endorsed the change, said he expects approval or an amended version next month, and indicated such titles could be placed in adult sections.
  • Opponents, including librarians and parents, called the plan discriminatory and said it polices ideas, while supporters argued it protects children and is not a book ban.
  • Libraries judged out of compliance could lose state funding, and the board earlier this year withheld funds from Fairhope Public Library over teen-section titles.