American Library Association President Emily Drabinski stated that conservative backlash against her election to the position is “regrettable” and described their critiques as part of broader “organized pro-censorship efforts.”
Drabinski previously celebrated her own election by noting on social media that a “Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build” was chosen to lead the largest library association in the world. Conservatives had reacted negatively to the now-deleted post, with the Montana State Library Commission voting last month to cut ties with the American Library Association, which serves as a national hub for literary insight and accreditation.
Tom Burnett, who leads the Montana State Library Commission, said in a statement that their “duty to the Constitution forbids association with an organization led by a Marxist.”
Drabinski countered in an interview with NBC News that she was “excited to highlight and celebrate two aspects of my identity that are really important to me, and are often under a lot of scrutiny,” before she faced the conservative backlash.
“I didn’t anticipate these kinds of targeted attacks being used as a bludgeon against library workers across the country,” she continued. “I really think that is regrettable, and I wish that wasn’t happening right now.”
The American Library Association has indeed been under criticism for its promotion of sexually explicit materials in public libraries and government schools, some of which include visual depictions of homosexual and pedophilic activity.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) was recently joined by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) in urging the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency which oversees library and museum grants, to take action against the American Library Association for its discrimination against Brave Books, a conservative publisher which wanted to host book reading events. Officials at the American Library Association are seeking to block Brave Books from hosting the events even as they promote drag queen events at the same public facilities.
“As a recipient of federal funds, the ALA is prohibited from using taxpayer dollars to violate the First Amendment,” the lawmakers wrote. “However, it appears the ALA is ignoring this prohibition for the sole purpose of silencing Brave Books while simultaneously also advocating for ‘Drag Queen Story Hour.’”
President Barack Obama joined last month to fight against what leftists claim are “book bans” and “censorship” efforts against homosexual and transgender content. He penned an open letter inferring that worried conservative parents are seeking to ban classics that “shaped my life and the lives of so many others.” He did not address the sexually explicit books allowed on school shelves despite parents raising concerns over the content.
The American Library Association has also recently launched a nationwide effort to fight “censorship” in public libraries and government schools.
