By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
MONTGOMERY — Read Freely Alabama and three authors have filed a federal lawsuit challenging an Alabama Public Library Service rule that ties state funding to restrictions on books containing transgender-related content.
Filed October 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, the lawsuit alleges the policy violates the First Amendment and financially harms authors whose books libraries decline to purchase.
Authors Kit Rosewater, Page Powars and Phoenix McDonald joined Read Freely Alabama in bringing the challenge. Democracy Forward represents the plaintiffs.
Under the policy, libraries risk losing state funding if they purchase covered materials marketed to readers under 18 or fail to relocate existing copies to adult sections. The rule classifies material concerning transgender procedures, gender ideology or more than two biological genders as inappropriate for young readers.
“Intellectual freedom is a right, not a privilege granted at the discretion of political appointees,” Read Freely Alabama co-founder Angie Hayden said in the organization’s announcement.
The authors say their affected titles include Buried Feelings, But I Hate Him and The Hidden Continent. They contend that denying library purchases limits readership and reduces sales.
The complaint also argues that the rule’s language is vague and overly broad, leaving uncertainty about which books libraries may acquire. According to Alabama Reflector, board members did not define “gender ideology” when proposing the changes.
Supporters have characterized the restrictions as protecting children and strengthening parental control. Opponents argue that the policy substitutes statewide government decisions for individual families’ choices.
Alabama Reflector reported that APLS had not filed a response as of November 2 afternoon. The plaintiffs’ constitutional claims remain allegations for the court to decide.
Photo caption 1: A federal lawsuit challenges Alabama library restrictions that connect state funding to purchasing and shelving policies for books containing transgender-related content. Read Freely Alabama and three authors contend that an Alabama Public Library Service rule restricts readers’ access and harms book sales.