Libraries remain open to gay publications

By Marc Shoffman • April 20, 2006 - 0:00

There have been over 400 complaints about gay material in libraries this year

No Comments Yet on Libraries remain open to gay publications

Attempts by conservative groups to remove gay publications from a public library have failed.

Trustee Bryce Kurfees from the Upper Arlington Public Library Board attempted to stop the "garbage" of Outlook Weekly and Gay People's Chronicle from being provided in public libraries.

He asked in a board meeting, "What is a publication that has this garbage within it doing in our library?"

"It's dropped off at our front door and we're bringing in into our library."

The Washington Blade reported that after talks of a compromise, the Ohio library director Ann Moore said it's within policy to provide a variety of materials, "We provide an open forum for any material.

"We have so many publications that are brought to us."

There have been over 400 complaints about gay material in libraries this year, according to the American Library Association.

Judith Krug, director of the association's Office of Intellectual Freedom, told the Washington Blade, "None of my colleagues stand there with a gun or a whip saying, 'You're going to read this.'"

Share this story with the world These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.