Alabama city bemoans ‘rogue' library and 'woke' city council over sexually explicit books on library shelves
Residents of a city in Alabama are pushing back against what they deem sexually explicit books being shelved in areas reserved for children and teens.
In a vote on April 21, 2025, AL.com reported that Fairhope Public Library will keep two books in the teen section, including "Sold," which covers sexual slavery in India, and "Grown," which is about sexual exploitation.Residents said they were concerned about the placement of the books, and want them to be moved from the children's and teens' areas to the adults' section.
'Woke' Hospital Could Be In Crosshairs Of Trump Admin After Scathing Complaint Alleges Dei Discrimination On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal funds to agencies that promote "gender ideology."
"You are not on board with the Trump agenda," Brian Dasinger, a Fairhope attorney, said Tuesday during a meeting with the Fairhope City Council. According to reports from AL.com, Dasinger said the city council was "worthless."
The local coverage also reported that "The library board critics also called the board 'rogue' and the city council 'woke,' while city officials defended board members as unpaid volunteers who do not have a political agenda."
"The six of you should not be called 'worthless' and not be threatened," Emyle Mann, a Fairhope resident, said, speaking of the five council members and Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan. "It's unfair and unprofessional."
Read On The Fox News App
"There are two books they are leaving (in the teen section)," Sullivan said. "There are some people not happy about that decision. They feel there is sexually explicit content in them. But our library board has reviewed that and didn't feel that way."
Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture
Sullivan also reportedly said that the library is reviewing an additional 12–14 books, and has transferred six other books from the teen section to the adult area.
Fairhope City Councilman Kevin Boone thanked the residents who waited until the meeting had concluded before leaving.
"After listening to both sides of this discussion, I'm not real big [on] people coming up giving their one side and walking out the door and not listening to what anyone else has to say," Boone said. "We need to be here listening to both sides."
Fairhope resident and library supporter Jeanine Normand said, "The world is watching."
Another supporter, William Henry of Fairhope, said, "Please don't be bullied by these people to do their agenda. They have shown their true colors and it's political."
Wendy Pickering of Orange Beach said that "We are not asking books to be burned or banned. We are asking them to be properly shelved."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Fairhope City Council, Fairhope Public Library, as well as Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan for comment.
Corey Martin, who is serving his first term on the city council, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "The council listened to both sides of this argument. The process to identify books that are concerning to any parent is in place. This process has been in place from the beginning. What was added was a tiered identification card for each adolescent that has to be signed off by the parent."
Martin added that "There has been at least six books that have been placed in the adult section that our librarians and board decided on. There are two books that the librarians and board, after review, decided that these books were not inordinate to the law. We as a council and the Mayor will follow up with the state to try and create alternate review board/ committee on books that are opinionated on both sides as to whether these books have artistic or literary value. All sides are in agreement that no one wants any child to be exposed to something that is not appropriate for their cognitive aptitude or maturity level."Original article source: Alabama city bemoans 'rogue' library and 'woke' city council over sexually explicit books on library shelves
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
18 minutes ago
- New York Post
There's nothing ‘spontaneous' about radical ICE protests — here are the groups behind them
The same media who told you in 2020 that the violent Black Lives Matter riots were 'fiery, but mostly peaceful' are at it again, pretending that your eyes are lying to you: No, they claim, there are no rampaging throngs or marauders waving foreign flags and attacking the forces of order. And the peaceful protests in Los Angeles are spontaneous. Nobody is organizing them. Advertisement Or so pretends the media. 'The Trump administration's immigration raids in the California city prompted mostly peaceful protests,' blared the leftwing British paper The Guardian. Of course, these supposedly perfectly serene public gatherings then 'escalated when the president sent in the National Guard — and then the US Marines,' added the Guardian. So, no, the scenes of mayhem and invasion that played on TV for days before the first National Guard unit arrived in the City of Angels didn't prompt Trump to act — don't believe your lying eyes. Advertisement It's like Guardian writer Chris Michael has no idea of the mockery that CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez has succumbed to since August 2020, when he went on air in front of a building engulfed in flames and complete chaos behind him, and a chyron with the 'mostly peaceful' claim. One other key thing that the left-wing media is not telling you is who is organizing the disorder, and who is funding it. Ignoring this aspect leads the public to believe two things that aren't true: that the violence is spontaneous, and that it reflects true national discontent with the deportation raids. Advertisement In fact, the opposite is true. A Polling Insights newsletter that the pollster Scott Rasmussen sends out reports that, 'In the current stand-off, 57% approve of efforts by immigration officials to find and arrest illegal immigrants in Los Angeles. Fifty-two percent approve of President Trump's decision to send in the National Guard.' Other opinon surveys support this trend. So, if the American people largely support the deportation raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who is organizing the riots against them? Advertisement We can see, from the placards and signs captured in photographs, that one key group organizing the protests comes from what one can call the list of usual suspects: the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). The PSL, a communist party, has been involved with BLM and pro-Hamas terrorism violence. The PSL has organizational ties with the ANSWER Coalition, which the Network Contagion Research Institute says has ties with the Chinese Communist Party. ANSWER was involved with organizing a rally in sympathy with the Los Angeles rioters on June 10 in Columbus, Ohio. The PSL is an old-style communist party that will seize on any crises to try to dismantle the United States. It says that 'the United States today is a dictatorship of the capitalist class. This reality will not change without a socialist revolution.' It is funded indirectly by donations from Neville Roy Singham, an American millionaire with close ties to the CCP who lives in Shanghai. Advertisement Elias Rodriguez, the terrorist who shot and killed the couple at the Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, in late May, was a member of both the PSL and ANSWER. Another group involved in organizing the LA riots is the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a radical leftist American union with extensive overseas ties. It is a regular attendee at the conferences and workshops held by the Foro de Sao Paulo, a hemispheric network of Marxist parties founded by Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and Brazilian President Inazio Lula da Silva. Advertisement The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights LA (CHIRLA), also an organizer, received $33 million in government grants in FY2023. Then there are the 'charities' helping the rioters, such as Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network, Operation Healthy Hearts, LA Poverty Department, and Mutual Aid/Social Therapy. These riots are sure to expand in the days to come, which means that it is a good thing that some congressmen are looking to investigate who these groups are, and why they are seeking to destabilize our streets. Mike Gonzalez is a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation and co-author of 'NextGen Marxism: What It Is and How to Combat It.'
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Several anti-Trump ‘No Kings Day' rallies planned in WV this weekend
Hundreds showed up to the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston on Saturday, April 5, 2025, to take part in a nationwide Hands Off rally to protest the actions of the Trump administration. (Zachary Hiser | West Virginia Watch) As the nation's capitol prepares for a massive military parade to mark the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, organizers in several West Virginia cities are planning to mark the day with anti-Trump protests. 'No Kings Day of Action' rallies are planned for cities around the country, including Berkeley Springs, Bluefield, Buckhannon, Charleston, Elkins, Huntington and others. The events are in response to what the organization calls 'increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption' from the president and allies. 'In America, we don't do kings,' reads a statement on the website for a grassroots organization made up of hundreds of local groups. 'They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.' An estimated 200,000 attendees, 150 military vehicles and 50 aircraft are expected for Trump's military parade in Washington, D.C. Saturday, according to news reports. The spectacle will cost an estimated $45 million, including $16 million to repair the streets of D.C. following the event. A spokesman for the West Virginia National Guard said Wednesday that the agency will not send personnel or equipment to participate in the military parade, but they do plan to send 200 members of the CERF-P team to support the Nation Capitol Region, at its request, as part of the Guard's standing missing to support events of its size. Trump has defended the cost of the event, calling it 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it,' in a recent interview with NBC News. 'We have the greatest missiles in the world,' Trump said. 'We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we're going to celebrate it.' To Dr. Kate Waldeck, one of the organizers for Saturday's rally in Huntington, the parade is another example of the 'massive' amount of money that Republicans want to divert from people who need it. The Trump-backed, 'big, beautiful bill' that passed the House of Representatives and is making its way through the Senate would cut billions in funding to Medicaid and food assistance to low-income Americans. 'We're seeing, increasingly, that our social safety net is going to be stripped away,' Waldeck said. 'And obviously, we hope that this political situation is temporary, but in the meantime, the reality is that we're going to have to build new networks for our people. So our theme for this [rally] is 'No Kings,' but we are taking that and extending it to just to… 'No kings, just community.' Huntington's event will include speakers, music, guided meditation for kids, bystander and Narcan training as well as a goods drive for Lily's Place, Harmony House and the local city mission, she said. 'We want to have a good time with our community, and we want to show our neighbors, especially even the ones that don't feel safe coming to events like this, so people who are minorities or noncitizens, that we're thinking of them,' Waldeck said. She added that everyone is welcome at the nonpartisan, nonviolent protest event 'as long as they adhere to the ground rules of no racism, no homophobia and transphobia.' Debra Kilgore of Mercer County Indivisible, is helping organize the event in Bluefield. 'I couldn't stay silent any longer,' Kilgore said of her reasons for protesting. 'I couldn't hope that someone else will take care of these issues and make and hold our representatives accountable, because it's not happening, especially in our state, where we have our Republican representatives in the federal government who are going along with everything. The Constitution grants Congress the power to levy tariffs, but they've allowed Trump to 'run the tariff show,' she said. 'They're letting it happen,' she said. 'And so, watching, I'll call them the enablers. I can't rely on somebody else to do something anymore.' While Mercer County, like the rest of West Virginia, voted overwhelmingly to elect Trump to a second term, Kilgore said as the year wears on, she's hearing from people that they no longer support the president. 'More and more people are saying, 'You know, I may have voted for Trump, but I didn't expect this,'' she said. 'Or people who never voted for Trump but in this area are afraid to say 'I'm not a Trump voter,' are starting to make their presence known.' The events Saturday come as protests against Trump's immigration policies continue in Los Angeles. The Trump administration is sending nearly 5,000 National Guard troops and Marines to the city, against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom, a Democrat, called Trump's move a 'brazen abuse of power,' according to news reports. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott deployed the National Guard across the state as more demonstrations are expected there Wednesday. 'Peaceful protest is legal,' Abbott wrote on the social media platform X. 'Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest. [The Texas National Guard] will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order. Waldeck said she's concerned about the National Guard being deployed to respond to protests against Newsom's will, but she's not concerned about the protests themselves becoming violent. 'We are aware of the national situation obviously, and [host organization] 50501 is unwavering in its commitment to peaceful protest, so we will have event staff there trained in de-escalation in the event there are counter protestors etc,' Waldeck said. Cindy Stemple, chair of the Randolph County Democratic Executive Committee, said the event they're planning for Elkins will be a 'peaceful celebration of our country and flag.' The event will feature speakers and musicians. Anyone who wants to sing or play an instrument will be allowed to do so. 'I think the protests are generally going to be peaceful unless Trump and everybody incites the people,' Stemple said. 'That's kind of my feeling. Now, I'm not in LA, I don't know. I'm not in Texas. I'm not in D.C., but when you have somebody threatening a first right, First Amendment right, which is a right to peaceful protest, there's a problem.' Stemple said Saturday's event will be the Elkins community eighth anti-Trump and 'pro-Democracy' rally. At each one, they've also collected donations for community needs like flood relief for Southern West Virginia or contributions to the local food pantry, she said. 'We are trying to do something good most every time that we hold one of these — and I call it a celebration,' she said. 'We become friends [and] allies just standing up for our country and enjoying the time together.' The rallies are planned for: Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Morgan County Courthouse in Berkeley Springs Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the corner of King and Queen Streets in Martinsburg Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Bluefield Downtown Park, Federal and Commerce Streets in Bluefield Noon at Hart Avenue and Kanawha Street in Buckhannon 10 a.m. at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown 1 to 4 p.m. at Heritage Station in Huntington Noon to 2 p.m. at the state Capitol in Charleston Noon to 2 p.m. at Washington Street West and Jefferson Street in Lewisburg Noon to 1:30 at the Randolph County Courthouse in Elkins 1 to 3 p.m. at the Hampshire County Courthouse in Romney 3 to 4:30 p.m. at McMurran Hall in Shepherdstown 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Madison Elementary School in Wheeling More information is available at SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
State leaders warn of crackdown if ‘No Kings' protests take a turn toward violence
Porchse Miller, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Grassroots Atlanta takes part in a peaceful immigration protest against LA ICE raids in Atlanta on Monday. State leaders are warning protesters to avoid violence during planned weekend protests. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder Georgia leaders say they are prepared to respond if weekend protests turn violent. 'My office remains in close contact with state and local law enforcement and stands ready to take whatever appropriate action is needed to safeguard our communities from crime and violence while also respecting the constitutional right to peaceful assembly,' Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement on social media. 'My support for public safety officers and the rule of law is unwavering, and any violence against those who protect and serve will be met with quick and heavy accountability.' Organizers around the country are planning demonstrations Saturday against the Trump administration as part of the 'No Kings' events. More than two dozen protests are planned in Georgia, from Dalton to Valdosta, according to organizers. Tensions are high across the country as photos and footage from Los Angeles depict smoldering vehicles and clashes between protesters and police – fallout from protests over tactics used in raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The situation in California intensified after President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, who said local law enforcement was sufficient to keep the peace. The last time a president called up the National Guard to a state without the approval of its governor was in 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson deployed troops to protect civil rights activists against the wishes of segregationist Alabama Gov. George Wallace. The second Trump presidency has already seen numerous protests in Georgia over immigration, federal spending cuts and other actions by the administration. One of them turned violent Tuesday night when immigration protesters allegedly threw fireworks and rocks at police officers and their cars. No officers were seriously hurt, but at least six people were arrested, according to multiple news outlets. Kemp previously called in the National Guard over heated protests, including in 2020 when protests over the deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans turned violent and in 2023 after protests over the Atlanta police public safety training facility known as 'Cop City' led to burning cop cars. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who is running for governor in 2026, issued a stern warning via a press release Wednesday: 'All Americans have the right to peacefully protest. No American has the right to destroy property, loot businesses, or attack law enforcement officers. It's very simple. Protesters use words. Rioters use violence. There is no gray area. In Georgia, if you engage in violence for the purpose of changing public policy, you can be charged with Domestic Terrorism. The penalty for Domestic Terrorism is 5-35 years in jail.' Many protesters say it's the tactics used by the Trump administration and ICE that should be illegal. 'I grew up in a sundown town up north, so them being able to come in and violate that sanctity of homes, schools, businesses, it triggers something in me, and it makes me so uncomfortable with what's going on,' Melissa Steach, a member of the Union of Southern Service Workers who works at Waffle House, said at a peaceful protest outside ICE headquarters Monday. 'It needs to stop,' she added. 'We're going to keep protesting until the raids stop. These people do so much for us, and I'm gonna keep standing with our brothers and sisters.' Georgia Recorder reporter Maya Homan contributed to this report.
