Moms For Liberty and Clean Up Alabama are attacking Baldwin County libraries for having LGBTQ-affirming content. Sign our counterpetition to defend our public libraries against their unconstitutional attacks.
To the Elected Officials of Baldwin County:
WHEREAS, public libraries in Baldwin County serve as vital resources for education, cultural enrichment, and community engagement, providing diverse materials to support the interests and needs of all residents; and
WHEREAS, Alabama public libraries, including those in Baldwin County, adhere to professional standards and guidelines to ensure that materials are age-appropriate, educational, and reflective of the community they serve; and
WHEREAS, exposure to a wide range of ideas, including those regarding different cultures, identities, and experiences, is essential for the mental, emotional, and social development of children, fostering empathy, understanding, and critical thinking skills; and
WHEREAS, public libraries maintain a formal reconsideration process through which community members can challenge the inclusion of specific materials, ensuring that concerns are addressed in a structured, transparent, and equitable manner; and
WHEREAS, the right and responsibility to supervise and make decisions about children’s reading materials primarily rests with parents and guardians, who are best positioned to guide their minor children's access to library resources in accordance with their own family values and beliefs; and
WHEREAS, restricting access to materials based on subjective notions of appropriateness undermines the principles of intellectual freedom and the rights of individual parents to make content decisions for their families; and
WHEREAS, taxpayer-funded entities, including public libraries and cultural centers, have a responsibility to provide inclusive and equitable access to resources and programming for all community members, reflecting a diversity of values, perspectives, and interests; and
WHEREAS, Moms for Liberty is designated as an extremist anti-government group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, promoting censorship and divisive agendas contrary to the values of our community;
THEREFORE, as a concerned citizen of Baldwin County, I urge you as my elected official to uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist efforts to censor or restrict access to materials that contribute to the cultural and educational richness of our community. It is imperative to support our public libraries in their mission to serve all residents without prejudice or exclusion.
By signing this petition, I affirm my support for the protection of intellectual freedom in Baldwin County's public institutions, and I reject the attempts of extremist groups to undermine the rights of parents and the fundamental values of a free society.