Discussions on recent book challenges were met with opposition from a number of community members during the Cullman County Library Board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Vinemont resident, Shirley Arnett, submitted challenges for three books — “Prince and Knight” by Daniel Haack, “Heather Has Two Mommies” by Leslea Newman and “Lily and Dunkin” by Donna Gephart — in circulation at the main branch of the Cullman County Public Library System ahead of last month’s board meeting. However, due to board members having been unable to review the titles in question, the discussion was tabled until the next meeting.

On Tuesday, Arnett shared her concerns with the “agenda” she said was being pushed specifically by “Prince and Knight,” noting how a portion of proceeds from its sale support LGBTQ groups.

“It [“Prince and Knight”] clearly has an agenda because on the back of the book it says a portion of the sales from this book will go toward accelerating LGBTQ acceptance. I don’t want my tax dollars going to that,” Arnett said.

Arnett also pointed to her involvement with the Prattville, Ala. based “parental rights” group Clean Up Alabama that has been active in similar book challenges throughout the state in recent months. She alluded to the support of Cullman County officials mentioning signatures she has received from each county commissioner, as well as local GOP leaders, for the CUA petition calling for libraries to withdraw membership from the American Library Association.

Arnett also also said Alabama Senator Garlan Gudger’s brief appearance was to support her efforts.

Gudger left before the meeting’s adjournment. He declined a follow up request for comment after the meeting, telling The Times via text message that, “I might save my comments until the next meeting.”

Local resident Angie Frost, wearing a Read Banned Books t-shirt, attended the meeting in support of the challenged books.

“I would like to point out how taxpayers in this county include gay people, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people and they should have access to books and materials that reflect their way of life,” Frost said.

 

Interim library director, Josie Harrington, noted how the majority of books in circulation are added at the request of library patrons, with others coming from vendor recommendations or community donations.

“ … public libraries are largely against censorship, because there are a number of people in our community from all different walks of life. Rather than remove things, we try to provide things for everyone,” Harrington said.

Following the meeting, Harrington said she was unable to say with complete certainty, but believed “Prince and Knight” had been requested by a community member during a past “banned books week.”

Board member, Lea Scott, also noted that it is not typical for the library to vet the ways authors or publishers use proceeds from their book sales, but rather look at a book’s content when making book selections.

Retired Methodist minister Reagin Brown said he had ministered to LGBTQ individuals throughout North Alabama. He said, discussions over funding sources for particular books were misdirected, and felt as though equal representation for all residents was a much more important topic.

“The real question here is ‘what can we do to help folks in our community understand things?’ Sometimes there are books that do that even if we may disagree with them. This is a situation where we are trying to reach a segment of the community that is not reached by a lot of folks,” Brown said.

Speaking to The Times after the meeting, Grace Potter said she has been a youth counsellor for more than a decade at both her private practice and with Hanceville schools. She felt the type of rhetoric used by those challenging books was more harmful to children than protective.

“To me this was more politically motivated than anything. I counsel gay and lesbian children or transgender children. A lot of my clients have two mommies or two daddies. I don’t condemn these kids when I’m counseling them, but it’s tragic because this kind of stuff hurts these children and I don’t think the public is really aware of it,” Potter said.

West Point graduate, and current Cullman City resident, Lance Conn, read from a prepared letter in which he described the efforts of CUA, as well as local book challenges, as a “smokescreen for anything that testifies to the existence of gay people.”

Conn said he recently checked out and reviewed two of the books in question — “Prince and Knight” and “Heather Has Two Mommies” — and found no vulgarity or pornographic material. Of “Prince and Knight,” he said:

“I suspect if the role of the prince were to be changed to princess, this book would no longer be a target for CUA. They simply do not want gay people to exist or be represented in any public space.”

Conn also described his dissatisfaction with local officials who have spoken up in support of the book challenges.

“We are on a dangerous road if our elected officials believe banning books is the correct side of history to be on. It’s inappropriate for our elected officials to target specific communities of people and for us to let that stand. Our state and our county has a pitiful history of allowing the majority to beat up the minority, whether that be the color of our skin, the choice of our religion or the sexual orientation or the gender identity of our families,” Conn said.

Arnett disagreed with Conn’s statement, saying she felt no animosity toward a few of her neighbors who, she said, are gay.

“I do not go to their house and say ‘Why are you doing this?‘ or ‘Don’t do this.’ At the end of the street we have a young man living there who is gay. I have never gone to his house or said anything to him. So, I do not agree with part of your statements,” Arnett said.

 

Cullman resident Ben Johnson pointed to recent library policy changes at both the Prattville and Foley Public libraries which requires anyone younger than the age of 15 to have a parental guardian present to check out any material from the library.

Arnett said she felt as though this type of policy could be a potential compromise she would be happy with which is in contrast to the views expressed by CUA.

On Sept. 8, after the policy was implemented in Prattville, the group described the change as a weak compromise which it does not endorse.

After the lengthy discussions, board member Judge Rusty Turner suggested tabling any decision on the books in question until the board’s next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 19, to allow him time to read and review the three books.

Arnett said she is prepared and planning to submit a number of additional book challenges to the library.

“I feel like these books have an agenda and I have an agenda to protect children … I will have more reconsiderations,” she said.