Tennessee Schools Finally Unblock GLBT Websites

by Rachel

In May, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee filed suit against the Knox County and Metro Nashville school district for blocking gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender websites.  Two weeks later, on June 3rd, the school districts announced that they would stop filtering the websites of gay-friendly advocacy groups such as the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.  You can read the full article here.

A lot of schools and libraries filter their Internet to block explicit sexual or violent stuff.  In fact, some public libraries are required to filter their Internet for “minors” — you guys who are under 18 — if they want to get money from the federal E-Rate program (Iowa City Public Library does not filter our Internet; we have opted out of federal E-Rate money).

You can argue that filtering the Internet helps protect the young and innocent.  But filtering can also be used to block important information that the public has a right to access.  If the word “breast” was filtered at the library, you guys wouldn’t be able to get important health information on breast cancer.  Likewise, a lot of libraries have chosen to filter information on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.  What do you guys think about that — should GLBT information be freely accessible to the public, or should libraries have a right to block it?

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  1. Hi, this is Hannah with the National Coalition Against Censorship. ICPL made a great decision not to use filtering software. Denying people access to information doesn’t make them safer–we need freedom of inquiry to make the best choices. And blocking LGBTQ sites is just plain shutting down other people’s freedom of expression!

    I’m contacting teen library blogs to ask if you’ll help us spread the word about a disturbing call for book challenges across the country.

    In yesterday’s morning news segment “Unfit to Print?” [http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/22577720/unfit-to-print.htm#q="gossip+girls"], Fox News interviewed two parents calling for removal of Gossip Girl and other young adult fiction from the youth section of the Leesburg, Florida public library. While the public library has voted to keep the contested books on the shelves, parents Dixie Fechtel and Diane Venetta argue that the books should be pulled from the 12+ young adult section. In the video, Venetta states, “This is not about censorship” but calls upon “parents to go and see what’s in the youth section of your public library.”

    The Kids’ Right to Read Project at NCAC has supported the Leesburg library in its effort to retain the books where they are in the youth section, noting that the Constitution “prohibits the public library from censoring material because some people find it offensive or distasteful. The public library’s role is to serve the entire community, not to reflect or cater to any specific viewpoint.” [http://ncac.org/Kids-Right-to-Read-Project-Opposes-Book-Challenges-in-Leesburg-FL-Public-Library]

    I hope you can make a statement on this blog upholding young adults’ right to read (even young adult fiction!).

    Thanks!

    #1 Hannah

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