Amy Dozier Minton has completed at least 30 titles at the Gadsden Public Library with LGBTQ characters, and plans to pursue more in the future.
State Rep. Mac Butler (R-Gadsden) recently appointed Mr. Minton to the Etowah County Library Board, which brings a relatively small amount of revenue to the Gadsden Library, but ensures that the library will continue to sell children's and youth books. He had previously said he would withhold his income if he continued to keep it. Adult section.
Funding sources are no longer relatively small. She is currently one of the board members who holds the purse strings for state grants to libraries across Alabama.
Gov. Kay Ivey recently appointed Minton to the board of the Alabama Public Library Service, an apparent move to have people on the board aligned with recent movements against LGBTQ content in books aimed at teens and younger. It is part of this movement.
This is not the only move Ivey has made to reorganize the board. She also fired longtime commissioner Virginia Doyle in apparent retaliation for Doyle's criticism of lawmakers who threatened state funds.
This was Doyle's hunch. “Apparently they're trying to get a third vacancy to control the boards. They already have John Wall in the corner.”
APR spoke with Minton in December about her appointment to the Etowah County Library Board and her campaign to challenge her book in Gadsden.
Although Minton and the Etowah County Republican Party declared the sexual content in the minors section of the book problematic, Minton did not hesitate to oppose the gender ideology in such books.
“These books just confuse children,” Minton told APR at the time. “Some kids want to be pirates, but would you make their eyes stick out or have their legs amputated? I don't think kids are ready to be exposed to that kind of content.”
In his dissent, Minton confuses transgender, gender nonconforming, and bisexual issues with sexualizing children.
Minton told AL.com that she is not affiliated with Clean Up Alabama, Moms for Liberty or Eagle Forum, but that her book challenges the campaigns of these groups in the state. We are working closely with
Minton also vowed to completely separate APLS from the American Library Association, saying the agency's decision last week not to renew its ALA membership was not enough. Clean Up Alabama Executive Director Hannah Reese offered a similar message after the meeting.
Like APLS board member and ALGOP chair John Wall, Minton cites Marxist influence and indoctrination creeping into libraries. Sitting ALA President Emily Drabinsky congratulated him on his election by tweeting about his Marxist beliefs and lesbian identity.
Please feel free to read The state of Alabama has expressed concerns about Minton's appointment.
In a statement, the organization said: “She calls for public authorities to ignore the rights of all Alabama parents and for libraries to follow the state's direction and decide for parents what reading material is appropriate for their children. I hope so.” “Minton does not have the library experience, wisdom, and impartial judgment necessary to serve APLS. This appointment will advance the beliefs and preferences of a few taxpayers to the detriment of other taxpayers. It is a travesty and a threat to the rights of all Alabama parents and families. We urge you to support qualified, neutral candidates who are committed to upholding our principles.”
APLS is currently in a public comment period on Ivey's proposed governing code changes. The new code language will require libraries to submit policies regarding the handling of materials deemed age-inappropriate.
