CHANDLER, Arizona – Several parents and children attended a meeting of the Chandler Public Library Board Tuesday night to protest “pornographic” books geared to children located in the children’s section of the Basha branch library. The board, which met at that branch, let each attendee speak for two minutes, who used their time to read from the offending books and describe what was contained in them.
A young woman named Audrey, who said she was the 2021 class president of the adjacent high school, read from a book for 10-year-olds that discussed masturbation and abortion. A book about “genderqueer” discussed “strap-ons” and “blow jobs,” she said.
Natalie Cordova, a mother with a child in first grade, spoke about a book aimed at children 10 and up, discussing how to obtain consent for sex. It featured a checklist of sexual actions, where children could mark “yes,” “no,” “maybe,” or “fantasy.” She said children are not capable of consent at that age, and described the book as “sexual grooming.” Cordova complained that she’s requested to add certain books to the library, but it “never happens,” she’s told the vendors weren’t approved.
Riley Morgan, a child, read from a book titled “Will Puberty Last My Whole Life.” The book discussed masturbation for preteens, pornographic movies, and “how to get a girl to have sex,” he said.
Carly Morgan, the mother of Riley, criticized the process for objecting to books. She said a 7-page complaint form contains only a tiny space for people to describe their objection to a book. She said a prominent disclaimer states that the complaint will become a public record, which she feels is a deterrent to those who wish to express their objection. The form contains the American Library Association’s (ALA) “Library Bill of Rights,” which Carly Morgan described as Marxist. Part of it states, “Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”
Carly Morgan cited the ALA’s “Freedom to Read Statement,” which references “democracy” or “democratic” 10 times. The statement contends that attempts to remove offensive books are attacks on democracy.
Joseph Yang, who has volunteered at Chandler libraries and served as former president of the Teen Advisory Council for the library, said he would like to see a subcommittee set up by the board that includes members of the public who could review the questionable book. He has a podcast called The Conservative Seoul Show covering issues like this.
Andrew Adams, who wore a shirt stating that he was the Republican chair for Legislative District 14, agreed that the subcommittee should consist of members of the public and librarians. He said the ALA’s guidelines may not consider local “community values” or the law. He said the subcommittee could help with “checks and balances.”
Les Mikus, who said he developed a tool to assess a child’s skills years ago, said books like “It’s So Amazing” are inappropriate for children age seven, which the book is aimed at.
Jeanine Cortez, a mother of four, said she often hung out at the library. But then she said she found a book for children ages 5 to 6 titled “Making a Baby,” which discussed how to have sex and contains drawings of naked adults. She said she didn’t think children should know about sex at that age.
Nancy Wilmey, a grandma in the area, pointed out that the Montana Library Association cut ties with the “woke” ALA. She referenced the ALA’s new self-identified “Marxist lesbian” president, Emily Drabinski.
Alyssa Contralis, wearing an American flag dress, addressed the lack of filters on the computers in the library in the children’s section. She said this violates both A.R.S. 34-502 and the federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Contralis noted that the ALA joined with Planned Parenthood opposing CIPA when it was proposed in 2000.
Next, the board displayed a video of members of the public — including some who testified that evening — testifying before a previous meeting of the Chandler City Council. One woman objected to the library carrying the books of local author Sharon Skinner, who writes about witchcraft in addition to her children’s books.
Adams told the council that these types of books are leading to teenagers getting pregnant and said if anyone showed one of them to his daughter, he’d be furious. He said it’s time to “stop the sexualization of children.”
Riley Morgan said children should not be learning about the content in those books until they grow up and move out of their parents’ homes. His mother said she wasn’t allowed to enter the children’s section at the library to look at the books unless he accompanied him. She cited a book titled “Perfectly Normal,” which was for children age 10 and up, that contained naked drawings of toddlers, children, and adults and discussed girls breaking their hymen.
Cindy Barnes, a retired teacher and Girl Scout leader with three young grandchildren, discussed the book “Language of Seabirds,” which is about a “secret” of two 12-year-old boys falling in love. It is also anti-police, she said. She found another book in the toddler section discussing pronouns, which she found inappropriate for that age group.
The meeting wound down with one of the board members stating that the library is exempt from some of the state laws referenced in A.R.S. 34-502 since it is located within a school facility, so the school’s policies govern instead of the statute.
In Tennessee, after Misrule of Law founder, Blount County conservative activist, and retired attorney Mark Pulliam started objecting to public libraries in the state carrying “pornographic books,” “Secretary of State Tre Hargett … adopted and implemented new guidelines that every public library in Tennessee, if they wish to receive technical support or financial assistance from the state, has to sign this agreement that they prohibit obscene materials, child pornography, and other inappropriate material from coming into contact with minors.”
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Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
