Latest news with #RhodeIslandFreedomtoReadCoalition
Boston Globe
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Censorship harms those we should be trying to protect
Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up According to Advertisement Book bans also frequently target books with LGBTQ+ characters, according to Pen America. Advertisement Pen America also states that books that depict rape or sexual violence were banned in a quarter of the more than 3,000 books targeted from June 2022 to July 2023. Silencing stories of rape and sexual violence silences survivors of rape and sexual violence. Banning books by and about the survival of rape and sexual assault perpetuates harm on those who have suffered the most. Authors can find power in telling their stories, factually or through fiction. Readers can find solace and community in these same stories. We are harming them by removing their stories from libraries. The My question is: Who are we protecting? If not our LGBTQIA teens, our BIPOC children, our public library staff, our school librarians, our children's book authors, our survivors of sexual assault, then who? And why? The bills that have been put forward do not mandate that any child, adolescent, student, or parent be required to read any book. The bills don't mandate libraries purchase any book or type of book. They don't require that authors and illustrators write or draw or create any specific book or type of book. In fact, they make clear that reconsideration requests made by those with a vested interest in the public library or school library can still continue. And library staff will be protected by not just the Advertisement Let Rhode Island continue to grow and change in the direction of Nicole P. Dyszlewski is one of the leaders of the Rhode Island Freedom to Read Coalition, and a professor and assistant dean at Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, R.I.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
RI leaders, advocates push for ‘Freedom to Read' bill at State House
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Several state leaders and advocates gathered Thursday afternoon to highlight the importance of protecting free expression and ensuring access to a wide range of books and ideas. Members of the Rhode Island Freedom to Read Coalition held a press conference at the state house to celebrate a proposed bill that aims to safeguard free speech, free inquiry, and the right to form and express opinions—protections outlined in the First Amendment and the Rhode Island Constitution. RELATED: Lawmakers advocate for bills protecting libraries from book bans According to R.I. Authors Against Book Bans, the bill seeks to: Shield library users from censorship attempts by outside groups Establish standardized guidelines for library acquisitions Protect librarians, teachers, and museum employees from civil and criminal liability over materials in their collections Uphold the freedom of expression for Rhode Island-based creators Rep. David Morales and Sen. Mark McKenney, sponsors of the Freedom to Read Act, were among those at the event. As part of the free gathering, R.I. Authors Against Book Bans distributed books by Rhode Island creators that have been banned, challenged, or soft-censored. The first 250 attendees were eligible to take home a Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
