Identify, Report, Segregate: The Straight Agenda

Last September, Annie Massey, then an administrator of the far-right sex-focused anti-LGBT Alaska Parents' Rights in Education (APRE) Facebook group, uploaded a list of books she said contained sexual content, including illustrations of sexual positions, masturbation guides, and pedophilic grooming.

Parents' Rights in Education believes that LGBTQ+ advocates “groom preschool children at libraries” and that LGBT militant activism is fostered in both public schools and libraries. The far-right organization is run by Suzanne Gallagher, a former Chairwoman of the Oregon Republican Party who resigned ahead of a vote to recall her from office by fellow party members who charged she mismanaged the organization and misallocated party resources.

In her post, Massey encouraged right-wing Alaskans to set out on a crusade and hunt through school libraries for any trace of the books on the list and to report their findings.

What's especially interesting is that Massey tagged Judy Eledge and Bronson Chief of Staff Sami Graham in her September post—neither of whom plays any direct role in the operation of school libraries.

Eledge, an unqualified one-time Bronson pick for director of the Anchorage Public Library (APL), was pulled from consideration to avoid Assembly confirmation and instead installed in the unconfirmed role of deputy director and has been serving as the library's de facto director ever since.

Some of the books on APRE's naughty list appear in the Youth Advisory Commission's anti-LGBT censoring project, and the book Jack (Not Jackie) is one of the books Eledge removed from the library shelf without first checking it out on her library card ahead of a scheduled meeting of the Library Advisory Board (LAB).

Based on the minutes of this month's Library Advisory Board meeting, Teen Advisory Board Member Denali Tshibaka, who, according to the same minutes, is imbued with the power to second a motion, gave a presentation titled "Inappropriate Literature: The Problem and the Solution."  Notably, she is also the Vice Chair and Secretary of the Youth Advisory Council (YAC).

RELATED: Hostile & Unwelcoming: Youth Advisory Commission member resigns over LGBT censorship project

As part of this presentation, Tshibaka provided what she claimed were several examples of books she felt were inappropriate for the "youth" section. She also claimed that the foreign book section had "more inappropriate literature" and that there was even more in Youth Services.

One of those books, Teen Underground (2003), is a guide to sexuality with information on sexually transmitted diseases; contraception; sexual abuse; healthy relationships; hotlines, and resources. It was written by Michael J. Basso, MPH, a former sex educator who is now working as a health scientist for the teen pregnancy unit of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The book is recommended for those between 12-18 years of age.

In her presentation, Tshibaka deemed the book's reference to gay sex as "inappropriate" and took issue with a second book, Blood Moon (2020), which deals with menstruation shaming and draws attention to the absurd fact that this topic is still considered taboo.

A third book noted in the presentation, The Key to You and Me (2021), is a book about a teen struggling with the coming out process, an act that takes courage and which often subjects LGBT teens to bullying, homelessness, other forms of abuse and, suicide. The book is recommended for teens aged 14+.

As the meeting minutes go, the daughter of far-right U.S. Senate Candidate Kelly Tshibaka, whose writings from college supported a gay conversion therapy organization, proposed possible solutions to books she found inappropriate for the "youth" section:

• Segregating LGBT books to their own section
• Segregating all LGBT books from the kids section
• Move what she identifies as graphic scene books to the adult section
• Proposed that the library display neutral books only
• Adding more classical literature to the teen section.

In response to Tshibaka's presentation and recommendations, some LAB members forcefully resisted the idea that segregating books based on sexual preference and gender identity was a good idea.

LAB member Travis Gularte made the point that segregating books based on sexual preference and gender was tantamount to racial segregation and that isolating children and teens who may be questioning their sexual identity was extremely dangerous.

Barb Jacobs said that there was already a process in place for library book orders, collections, and shelving - arguing that books should not be taken down nor should the act of censorship be permitted in the library. Jacobs added that it is a parent's right to decide what books their children should be exposed to and suggested that re-organizing some of the books via age group rather than by sexual orientation or gender identity might be more appropriate.

Teen Advisory Board Member Denali Tshibaka, who had just suggested segregating books by sexual preference and gender identity in her presentation — appears to have quickly backtracked from the solutions she presented and said she was against censorship.

Eledge said she wanted to take a proactive stance on how literature is categorized at the library but didn't opine further, and it's not even clear what on earth she was talking about — but it's reasonable to infer that Eledge, who lacks a degree in library science, is most unhappy with the library's processes for the categorization of LGBT material at APL and doesn't understand its processes.

Noteworthy, perhaps, is that the book Jack (Not Jackie) is not mentioned at all in the meeting minutes. Eledge had initially taken the book from the library shelf without checking it out on her library card, claiming she needed it ahead of the LAB meeting, according to employees of the library.

For what it's worth, it appears that de facto library director Eledge may face the Anchorage Assembly for a confirmation hearing after all. Assembly Vice Chair Constant, writing on Twitter yesterday, suggested that Eledge's confirmation hearing was forthcoming — so stay tuned for that.

Oh, and just two more things. According to Eledge's Director's Report given at this month's LAB meeting, a Children’s Bible Story group has begun meeting at the library. The minutes also state an appraiser for the library’s rare books and paintings had been hired for insuring and "possible auctioning."

But don't take all of this at my word. The meeting minutes can be read below or at this link.