Proposed bans of LGBT-themed books in the United States

In September 1996, a local chapter of the national Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) created a display in the West Hernando/Staffordene T. Foggia branch library. The branch is part of the Hernando County Florida Library System.

Authors such as Alexander the Great, Gertrude Stein, and Walt Whitman were among the gay and lesbian authors that were included in the display. Books by the authors and red ribbons were displayed, along with a poster detailing the contributions of the authors to literature.

The community quickly responded. Hernando county offices and the library system received phone calls and letters. Responses were both positive and negative.

Assistant County Attorney Bill Buztrey informed county commissioners that removing the display could be considered a violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. This would leave the county open to a lawsuit.

Laurel Solomon was the Library Services Director at that time. She issued a written statements that going forward, all displays would be "created and sponsored by the library itself... to promote library-related activities."

County commissioners stated that this would protect them from "the potential of nonsanctioned radical groups such as Nazis" from creating their own displays.

The Florida Library Association awarded Buztrey and two other county staff members with the Intellectual Freedom Award for invoking the First Amendment.

Many community members felt the library was de facto censorship. Local columnist Jan Gildewell wrote that the policy "indicates to me that reception of intellectual freedom awards is no guarantee of continued freedom--or intellect."[1]

Republican lawmaker Gerald Allen proposed Alabama House Bill 30 (HB30), which would have banned public school libraries from purchasing books by gay authors or with gay characters.[2] The bill did not become law.

A proposed ban in Arkansas would have barred any representation of gay and lesbian people in schools, libraries, and state-funded universities. It passed the state's lower house, but a tie vote in the state senate's Education Committee failed to bring it to the state senate floor.

State Rep. Sally Kern, a Republican from Oklahoma City, supported House Resolution 1039, which would have required Oklahoma libraries to "confine homosexually themed books and other age-inappropriate material to areas exclusively for adult access and distribution." The bill also required that no public funds be used in "the distribution of such materials to children." The bill passed in the house but not the senate.

[3]

• I Am Jazz, by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings[4]
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kuklin
• Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel
• Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan
• This One Summer, written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
• Drama, written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier

[5]

• I Am Jazz, by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kuklin
• Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan

• And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

• The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
• And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

• And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
• Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie

• And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
• My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult

• And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
• Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen