Alabama Bill Targets Gay Books
Friday, April 29, 2005
(SNN Montgomery) A new bill recently came up for vote in the Alabama legislature. Sponsored by Republican Representative Gerald Allen, the bill would bar agencies that receive public funds, such as schools and libraries) from purchasing books with gay characters and gay authors.
It's not healthy for America
-Gerald Allen
Because of his belief that Alabama is under assault from homosexuals, Allen would ban the works of Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote and Lynne Cheney. "Half the books in the library could be banned," observed Juanita Owes, director of Montgomery's library system. "It's all based on how one interprets the material."
Allen says he sees this as a line in the sand. "It's not healthy for America, it doesn't fit what we stand for," says Allen. "I don't look at it as censorship. I look at it as protecting the hearts and souls and minds of our children." The language in Allen's bill is so broad as to ensure many disputes over whether a particular work could be said to "recognize" or "foster" or "sanction" homosexuality. Allen also wants to pull existing books of library shelves and bury them, which is somehow much better than burning them.
The Homosexual Agenda has been trying to recruit Allen for a number of years.
Rep. Allen has good reason to want to ban these books. The Homosexual Agenda has been trying to recruit him for a number of years. In book after book, Allen reads recruitment material for the homosexual agenda, and he's alarmed. “They want me to be gay,” says Allen. "They’ve always wanted me to be gay. And they will do whatever it takes to reach their goal."
Allen originally wanted to ban even some Shakespeare. After criticism, he narrowed his bill to exempt the classics, although he still can't define what a classic is. But at least, he was willing to accept that Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice” and “Gay Boys in Bondage” could stay on the shelves.
When the time for the vote in the legislature came there were not enough state legislators present for the vote. Many had slipped out, fearing that they would have to discuss homosexuality. The measure died automatically.
