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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
The Rutherford County Library Board took action to remove transgender books from the county’s libraries to protect children last month.
In a March 17th decision, the public board voted 5 to 3 to remove material promoting, encouraging, or advocating for transgenderism or that creates confusion about gender for minors.
The board’s decision was both lauded and decried by local residents and drew national attention from free speech rights organizations, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) in Philadelphia and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) in New York.
In a letter to Rutherford County Library System (RCLS), FIRE’s Director of Public Advocacy Aaron Terr said that RCLS violated both the first amendment rights and the board’s own policy.
Another Middle Tennessee library board that created a policy to protect children from sexually explicit material has seen opposition from its own local government in Sumner County.
The library board created the Collection and Development Policy in 2023 after being instructed to do so in order to align with state law.
Since that time, the board has struggled to get vacancies on the board filled. According to a Sumner County source, the County Commission appears to have been acting against the will of the people who elected them and going against the board that has been dedicated to making sure the county libraries are safe places for families.
In January, the majority of county commissioners voted against two qualified conservative candidates who had the overwhelming support of the public.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
