NotHardUp1
What? Me? Really?
My neighboring town of Madison, Alabama became Ground Zero in the culture wars Saturday morning.
Former child star Kirk Cameron is leading a national initiative to push LGBTQ references out of schools and libraries, and hosted a national rally yesterday across the nation at public libraries to assert conservative strength and promote efforts to take over school boards and other groups that can influence libraries.
Out of MANY sites, he chose Madison, Alabama to appear personally to read one of his new books. He chose the public library and that triggered a reaction from some on social media who had been following the host group, Moms for Liberty. The Moms were founded in (wait for it) Florida in 2021 as an anti-government group following COVID restrictions and laws.
Not being on social media outside of JUB, I was unaware of the brewing conflict.
Moms for Liberty applied for use of the public library room with an intended group size of 20. When the library became aware of the group being much larger (over 300), the library cancelled the event and referred the group to larger venues that could host the rapidly growing event. Of course, the optics don't work in some auditorium or megachurch, as the point is to flex muscle concerning culture wars and libraries.
So, Moms for Liberty send a letter from their lawyers threatening to sue. The library did an about face and allowed the event, but with a limit of 225. Most online news coverage of it stopped when the library cancelled the event, being from 1819 and Fox, howling about the "woke mob" infringing on their rights.
As I said, I was unaware of all this until a contract manager at work, an ex-military man about 50 and straight, told me about all of it. When I heard on the radio Friday that it was cancelled, I texted him and he informed me of the on-again status, and I committed to show up and help protest. His wife was allied with some Tik-Tokker who was leading the opposition to the book banning.
After mowing Saturday early, I got busy and made a placard out of a flattened cardboard box I covered with craft paper and emblazoned with slogans on both sides. There were about 70 other protestors who showed, of all stripes, almost all LGBTQ or allies. My friend was there. He never mentioned if he has a gay kid or not, but I never asked. It was just good to see a straight ally be stalwart.
The local news stations seemed to have panned the event, after initially covering the library cancelling. Not sure if it's just shitty news rooms, or intentional exclusion. If the latter, it would hurt Moms for Liberty more than gays, as the group wanted as much notoriety as possible to amplify their hoped-for influence.
As a footnote, I finally went to the Fox News article before posting a link below, and see that the Chair of the local Moms for Liberty is a co-worker IN MY DEPARTMENT at work, althogh we work for different sectors. She was in the office during COVID, yet refused to follow the company's masking mandates. What an irony that she and my friend in Contracts' wife are on polar opposite sides of the fight.
pen.org
www.al.com
www.foxnews.com
Former child star Kirk Cameron is leading a national initiative to push LGBTQ references out of schools and libraries, and hosted a national rally yesterday across the nation at public libraries to assert conservative strength and promote efforts to take over school boards and other groups that can influence libraries.
Out of MANY sites, he chose Madison, Alabama to appear personally to read one of his new books. He chose the public library and that triggered a reaction from some on social media who had been following the host group, Moms for Liberty. The Moms were founded in (wait for it) Florida in 2021 as an anti-government group following COVID restrictions and laws.
Not being on social media outside of JUB, I was unaware of the brewing conflict.
Moms for Liberty applied for use of the public library room with an intended group size of 20. When the library became aware of the group being much larger (over 300), the library cancelled the event and referred the group to larger venues that could host the rapidly growing event. Of course, the optics don't work in some auditorium or megachurch, as the point is to flex muscle concerning culture wars and libraries.
So, Moms for Liberty send a letter from their lawyers threatening to sue. The library did an about face and allowed the event, but with a limit of 225. Most online news coverage of it stopped when the library cancelled the event, being from 1819 and Fox, howling about the "woke mob" infringing on their rights.
As I said, I was unaware of all this until a contract manager at work, an ex-military man about 50 and straight, told me about all of it. When I heard on the radio Friday that it was cancelled, I texted him and he informed me of the on-again status, and I committed to show up and help protest. His wife was allied with some Tik-Tokker who was leading the opposition to the book banning.
After mowing Saturday early, I got busy and made a placard out of a flattened cardboard box I covered with craft paper and emblazoned with slogans on both sides. There were about 70 other protestors who showed, of all stripes, almost all LGBTQ or allies. My friend was there. He never mentioned if he has a gay kid or not, but I never asked. It was just good to see a straight ally be stalwart.
The local news stations seemed to have panned the event, after initially covering the library cancelling. Not sure if it's just shitty news rooms, or intentional exclusion. If the latter, it would hurt Moms for Liberty more than gays, as the group wanted as much notoriety as possible to amplify their hoped-for influence.
As a footnote, I finally went to the Fox News article before posting a link below, and see that the Chair of the local Moms for Liberty is a co-worker IN MY DEPARTMENT at work, althogh we work for different sectors. She was in the office during COVID, yet refused to follow the company's masking mandates. What an irony that she and my friend in Contracts' wife are on polar opposite sides of the fight.
Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Ban Books - PEN America
PEN America's report on school book bans offers the most comprehensive look at banned books in the 2021–22 school year, with counting more than 2,500 bans.
pen.org
Moms for Liberty Madison library event with Kirk Cameron, Riley Gaines draws protests
The north Alabama library system had cancelled the event and then agreed to accommodate the event with with a limit of 225 attendees.
www.al.com
Moms for Liberty speaks out in support of Kirk Cameron’s book reading event: ‘Following God’s direction’
Ahead of the Kirk Cameron-inspired “See You at the Library" book reading on August 5, Moms for Liberty has voiced its support and plans to host Cameron at a Huntsville, Alabama, library.
www.foxnews.com
