MADISON — “This is not a Library sponsored event.”
A Moms for Liberty event scheduled for the Madison Public Library has sparked a contentious debate within the community. It is part of a nationwide initiative by Brave Books to host such events across the country Aug. 5.
Moms for Liberty is a nonprofit organization formed initially in 2021 to fight COVID-19 related restrictions in Florida. The rapidly expanding group has broadened its scope to “stand up for parental rights at all levels of government”.
In June, the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled Moms for Liberty an “extremist” organization.
“Moms for Liberty is a far-right organization that engages in anti-student inclusion activities and self-identifies as part of the modern parental rights movement,” the SPLC said. “The group grew out of opposition to public health regulations for COVID-19, opposes LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curriculum, and has advocated book bans.”
The group’s upcoming event at the library has resulted in a bombardment of differing viewpoints online. A popular online Facebook group focused on the Madison community shut off responses after 177 comments on a post announcing the event.
Comments ranged from disbelief to fervent support. Many of those commenting referenced censorship.
“This drips with irony. Y’all going to go round up all the books to burn?”
While others advocated for Moms for Liberty.
“Call me old fashioned but I feel that books about gay sex, sex, or drag queen reading hour do not belong in a tax payer funded library. These books should not be available to children period!”
Commenters urged residents to contact the library to express their displeasure. However, according to library officials, this is not a library sponsored event.
It is an event taking place in the library’s meeting rooms, which are provided as a public service and are open and available to everyone equally, according to a statement provided to 256 Today by Jay Hixon, the library’s public relations director.
“We do not choose who gets to use our meeting rooms or what they are allowed to say or believe,” Hixon wrote. “That would be government censorship and a violation of the First Amendment.”
The statement continues:
“The Library is committed to intellectual freedom, which we believe is essential to a healthy democracy, even when viewpoints expressed do not align with Library values
“We have heard from some in the community asking why the Library is allowing this booking, citing the group’s views on abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. Censoring these viewpoints is counter to Library policy and the associated laws that ensure intellectual freedom for all people.
“The Library is not in the role of determining what viewpoints are or are not allowed to be believed and expressed by members of the public. We provide collections to explore and public spaces to use that allow members of the public to examine their own beliefs and come to their own conclusions. The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library cannot hold this belief only when it is politically convenient – intellectual freedom must be made available to all, consistently, in a free and democratic society.
“Permission to meet in the Library does not in any way constitute an endorsement of a group’s policies or beliefs. We will, however, coordinate with event organizers and other public agencies as needed to ensure Library policies are followed.”
The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library lists its rooms-use policy on its webpage.
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