or the city.
CONTROVERSIAL DEBATE
“EVEN IF IT WAS HETEROSEXUAL SEX, I’D WANT IT TO APPLY.” JUSTIN HICKS, LEAGUE CITY CITY COUNCIL MEM BER WHO INTRODUCED AN ORDINANCE TO ES TABLISH A NEW COMMIT
“WE ARE STILL LOOK ING AT WAYS TO FIGHT THE ORDINANCE. … IT’S STILL A BOOK BAN.” KATHERINE SWANSON,
“We re still look- ing t w ys to ght the ordin nce,” Sw nson s id. “I do know m ny members o the com- munity re still seeking venues, nd one o those venues m y be l wsuit.” On Feb. 14, the Ameri- c n Civil Liberties Union Found tion o Tex s wrote letter to coun-
While one group of residents and council members supports the idea of a new book review committee, another group claims it is a book ban targeting the LGBTQ community.
TEE TO REVIEW LIBRARY BOOKS RESIDENTS FLAG AS POTENTIALLY INAPPROPRIATE
GALVESTON COUNTY LIBRARY ALLIANCE SPOKESPERSON OPPOSED TO THE ORDINANCE
everybody to le rn ll th t stu ,” Hicks s id. The Tex s Libr ry Associ tion, which exists to support public, school nd c demic libr ries cross the st te, lso dis grees with Le gue City’s decision. While residents’ re ctions to controversi l books is “underst nd ble,” Le gue City’s new committee is step too r, s id Shirely Robinson, the ssoci tion’s executive director. “I think wh t’s h ppened in Le gue City is some overre ch by th t p rticu- l r city government,” she s id. Sw nson s id i this new commit- tee does reshelve cert in books to the dult section, she will h ve to enter the dult section with her child to nd the books she w nts to check out or them,
cil opposing the ordin nce. When it p ssed, ACLU o Tex s tweeted, “We’ll monitor wh t h ppens next to protect our rights.” Me nwhile, Hicks s id everything council h s done is consistent with st te l w. Robinson s id the Tex s Libr ry Associ tion is monitoring 37 bills th t h ve been led in the Tex s Legisl - ture th t could ch nge how libr ries unction. About dozen would m ke it possible or libr ri ns to be crimin lly prosecuted or books in their collec- tions, she s id. “So th t’s terri ying,” Robinson s id.
exposing her child to dult books she does not w nt them round. “I don’t think [council] sees the irony o th t,” she s id. Not ll council members supported the ordin nce. Council Members Ch d Tressler, John Bowen nd Tom Crews ll voted g inst it. Bowen s id the new committee is “wrong on so m ny levels” bec use the government should not m ke deci- sions th t should be m de by p rents. Tressler s id even though the resolu- tion’s l ngu ge ch nged, the ordin nce w s still t rgeting LGBTQ people. “Th t’s not right,” he s id during the Feb. 28 meeting. “T king th t l ngu ge out doesn’t ch nge the ct th t th t w s the intent o it.” Some Helen H ll Libr ry trustees
lso dis pprove o the new committee. “It’s unnecess ry, nd it shouldn’t h ve been cre ted in the rst pl ce,” G rci s id, pointing out the bo rd h s been reviewing books or ye rs in line with the Americ n Libr ry Asso- ci tion’s st nd rds. “At no point did council come t lk to the bo rd.” Sw nson nd other lli nce mem- bers re pplying or spot on the committee, though she s id there h s been no word on when pplic - tions will close. Next steps Opponents o the resolution nd ordin nce h ve thre tened l wsuits. A ew opponents who spoke publicly t council meetings s id the new commit- tee would le d to expensive litig tion
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BAY AREA EDITION • MAY 2023
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