Via the Birmingham News: Gay book ban goal of state lawmaker

An Alabama lawmaker who sought to ban gay marriages now wants to ban novels with gay characters from public libraries, including university libraries.

A bill by Rep. Gerald Allen, R-Cottondale, would prohibit the use of public funds for “the purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle.” Allen said he filed the bill to protect children from the “homosexual agenda.”

[…]

Allen said no state funds should be used to pay for materials that foster homosexuality. He said that would include nonfiction books that suggest homosexuality is acceptable and fiction novels with gay characters. While that would ban books like “Heather has Two Mommies,” it could also include classic and popular novels with gay characters such as “The Color Purple,” “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “Brideshead Revisted.”

The bill also would ban materials that recognize or promote a lifestyle or actions prohibited by the sodomy and sexual misconduct laws of Alabama. Allen said that meant books with heterosexual couples committing those acts likely would be banned, too.

It does beg the question as to what some legislators are thinking. I can understand objections to books on homosexuality being introduced to small children (I am not prepared to explain homosexual relationships to my seven year-old) but this is ridiculous. And really, the legislature has no business getting involved in library acquisition policies, especially at universities.

Really, one would think that legislators would learn to leave books and such alone.

And for those wanting to jump all over the state, please note:

Allen has sponsored legislation to make a gay marriage ban part of the Alabama Constitution, but it was not approved by the Legislature.

Given that we amend the state constitution almost as often as we breath down here, I think it is fair to say that there is hardly an anti-gay frenzy going on on Goat Hill.

Other blogging: James Joyner and Kristopher at The World Around You.