knapplc Posted February 2, 2022 Author Share Posted February 2, 2022 It's funny how this is intended to mean masks, but apparently doesn't mean library books or reproductive rights. 2 Link to comment
Danny Bateman Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 8 hours ago, knapplc said: It's funny how this is intended to mean masks, but apparently doesn't mean library books or reproductive rights. Found this story tonight and had no idea this was even a thing. They're definitely encroaching into book burning territory. Banned: Books on race and sexuality are disappearing from Texas schools in record numbers Ironically after thinking about it for a bit... it seems like Texas conservatives want to create... a safe space? Banning ideas or in this case books for having ideas you don't agree with is a terrible precedent. I guess those same people who wanted to ban porn and were convinced video games caused violence in the 1990s never went away. They just found a new approach. Kind of staggering how invested they are in this, though: Quote Records requests to nearly 100 school districts in the Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin regions — a small sampling of the state’s 1,250 public school systems — revealed 75 formal requests by parents or community members to ban books from libraries during the first four months of this school year. In comparison, only one library book challenge was filed at those districts during the same time period a year earlier, records show. A handful of the districts reported more challenges this year than in the past two decades combined. 1 1 Link to comment
funhusker Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 16 minutes ago, Danny Bateman said: Found this story tonight and had no idea this was even a thing. They're definitely encroaching into book burning territory. Banned: Books on race and sexuality are disappearing from Texas schools in record numbers Ironically after thinking about it for a bit... it seems like Texas conservatives want to create... a safe space? Banning ideas or in this case books for having ideas you don't agree with is a terrible precedent. I guess those same people who wanted to ban porn and were convinced video games caused violence in the 1990s never went away. They just found a new approach. Kind of staggering how invested they are in this, though: Granted, this is very anecdotal, but my sister who is a university professor in a midwest state said that the people who used "safe space" venues the most at her university tended to be white males that served in the military. She said their common "frustration" was trying to get used to an environment where they weren't told what to do/think every minute of the day; actually the opposite... 1 Link to comment
Danny Bateman Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 30 minutes ago, funhusker said: Granted, this is very anecdotal, but my sister who is a university professor in a midwest state said that the people who used "safe space" venues the most at her university tended to be white males that served in the military. She said their common "frustration" was trying to get used to an environment where they weren't told what to do/think every minute of the day; actually the opposite... That sounds pretty reasonable. It would be hard to go from the most structured existence imaginable to the exact opposite. Also anecdotal, but recently I read several stories from different people on Reddit (itself a pretty liberal place in large part unless you seek out the conservative parts) who said they had headed off the college as conservative warriors of sorts, ready to be made into martyrs when they were ostracized and belittled by the liberal mob sure to be awaiting them on college campuses... ... only to be shocked when that didn't really happen. Most people didn't have any problem with their beliefs and they weren't shouted down or attacked or anything like that. Most of them said they wound up moderating their views after that rather than being so staunchly conservative. Really shows how your environment and those you surround yourself with can shape a ton of your beliefs. 2 Link to comment
Archy1221 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 More Frenchy being Frenchy 2 1 Link to comment
knapplc Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 The Republicans' war on books is concerning. What's really funny is that our friend the mayor here is withholding taxpayers' money - money that almost certainly includes taxed paid by LGBTQ citizens. Ridgeland Mayor Demands LGBTQ+ Book Purge, Threatens Library Funding Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee is withholding $110,000 of funding from the Madison County Library System allegedly on the basis of his personal religious beliefs, with library officials stating that he has demanded that the system initiate a purge of LGBTQ+ books before his office releases the money. Tonja Johnson, executive director for the Madison County Library System, told the Mississippi Free Press in an afternoon interview that she first reached out to Mayor McGee after failing to receive the City of Ridgeland’s first quarterly payment of 2022. Johnson said the mayor informed her that no payment was forthcoming. “He explained his opposition to what he called ‘homosexual materials’ in the library, that it went against his Christian beliefs, and that he would not release the money as the long as the materials were there,” the library director said. The director then explained to the mayor that the library system, as a public entity, was not a religious institution. “I explained that we are a public library and we serve the entire community. I told him our collection reflects the diversity of our community,” Johnson said. Apparently, the mayor was unmoved. “He told me that the library can serve whoever we wanted, but that he only serves the great Lord above,” she finished. McGee’s office did not respond to several requests for an interview from the Mississippi Free Press before press time, though he did speak with this reporter on Wednesday morning, acknowledging that he was withholding the funds from the library system. Based on the conversation she had with the mayor, Johnson explained that the targets of McGee’s demands are mostly books that touch on homosexual identities, themes and stories. The list includes books about incidentally queer family members such as children’s stories intended to provide representation to gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. In the conversation, Johnson relayed that, among all other “homosexual materials,” McGee specifically demanded the removal of “The Queer Bible,” a series of essays by LGBTQ+ figures including Elton John, Munroe Bergdorf, and Tan France on other queer luminaries such as David Bowie, George Michael and Susan Sontag. But the mayor’s order, the director believes, is the culmination of a spate of homophobic activism intended to censor other queer literature, especially children’s books. One of the books that previous complaints have specifically targeted is “Grandad’s Camper,” a children’s book by author Harry Woodgate, who is nonbinary. Grandad’s Camper is the story of a young girl learning about her late grandfather by taking a road trip with her surviving grandparent. On Wednesday morning, Mayor McGee returned the Mississippi Free Press’ request for an interview. McGee confirmed in a short phone conversation that he was holding the funds from the library, and asserted that he had done so because of citizen complaints. “We’re holding (the money) right now because we found a large number of citizens who have complained about displays of sexual, whatever you want to call it, content. We’re just responding to those citizens’ complaints, and that’s the position we’re in.” McGee then declined to address the content of the books presented at last night’s board meeting, and whether or not sexual content was an appropriate term. 2 Link to comment
Scarlet Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 1 hour ago, knapplc said: The Republicans' war on books is concerning. What's really funny is that our friend the mayor here is withholding taxpayers' money - money that almost certainly includes taxed paid by LGBTQ citizens. Ridgeland Mayor Demands LGBTQ+ Book Purge, Threatens Library Funding Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee is withholding $110,000 of funding from the Madison County Library System allegedly on the basis of his personal religious beliefs, with library officials stating that he has demanded that the system initiate a purge of LGBTQ+ books before his office releases the money. Tonja Johnson, executive director for the Madison County Library System, told the Mississippi Free Press in an afternoon interview that she first reached out to Mayor McGee after failing to receive the City of Ridgeland’s first quarterly payment of 2022. Johnson said the mayor informed her that no payment was forthcoming. “He explained his opposition to what he called ‘homosexual materials’ in the library, that it went against his Christian beliefs, and that he would not release the money as the long as the materials were there,” the library director said. The director then explained to the mayor that the library system, as a public entity, was not a religious institution. “I explained that we are a public library and we serve the entire community. I told him our collection reflects the diversity of our community,” Johnson said. Apparently, the mayor was unmoved. “He told me that the library can serve whoever we wanted, but that he only serves the great Lord above,” she finished. McGee’s office did not respond to several requests for an interview from the Mississippi Free Press before press time, though he did speak with this reporter on Wednesday morning, acknowledging that he was withholding the funds from the library system. Based on the conversation she had with the mayor, Johnson explained that the targets of McGee’s demands are mostly books that touch on homosexual identities, themes and stories. The list includes books about incidentally queer family members such as children’s stories intended to provide representation to gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. In the conversation, Johnson relayed that, among all other “homosexual materials,” McGee specifically demanded the removal of “The Queer Bible,” a series of essays by LGBTQ+ figures including Elton John, Munroe Bergdorf, and Tan France on other queer luminaries such as David Bowie, George Michael and Susan Sontag. But the mayor’s order, the director believes, is the culmination of a spate of homophobic activism intended to censor other queer literature, especially children’s books. One of the books that previous complaints have specifically targeted is “Grandad’s Camper,” a children’s book by author Harry Woodgate, who is nonbinary. Grandad’s Camper is the story of a young girl learning about her late grandfather by taking a road trip with her surviving grandparent. On Wednesday morning, Mayor McGee returned the Mississippi Free Press’ request for an interview. McGee confirmed in a short phone conversation that he was holding the funds from the library, and asserted that he had done so because of citizen complaints. “We’re holding (the money) right now because we found a large number of citizens who have complained about displays of sexual, whatever you want to call it, content. We’re just responding to those citizens’ complaints, and that’s the position we’re in.” McGee then declined to address the content of the books presented at last night’s board meeting, and whether or not sexual content was an appropriate term. Weird priorities these self proclaimed holier than thou puritans hold. 3 Link to comment
BigRedBuster Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 13 hours ago, Scarlet said: It absolutely still baffles me how much this family will have someone who supports them through controversy after controversy only to attack and stab them in the back later. They do it over and over again. And....there are still people who support them. 3 Link to comment
BigRedBuster Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 48 minutes ago, Scarlet said: But...but...but...but....they support the blue.... Link to comment
BigRedBuster Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 What a load of BS. LINK Quote “This is not about them being anti-Trump,” Harmeet Dhillon, a national committee member from California and one of the sponsors of the resolution, told Politico. “There are plenty of other people in the party who are anti-Trump whose names don’t appear in the resolution. These two took specific action to defy party leadership.” It's EXACTLY about them being anti-Trump. They are on this committee in defiance of what Trump wants. He is the leader of the party that the rest are trying to protect by this action. Sure, there are others that cringe and would prefer Trump not be in the party. But, once someone takes action against Trump.....they are censured. The rest are just cowards. Having a strong negative opinion about Trump but not saying anything as a leader in congress is pathetic. Especially when they then turn around and censure the ones who have the guts to do what the rest are scared to do. 4 1 Link to comment
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