Gender Ideology

 MEDIA ADVISORY—ALABAMA PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICE TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON RULE CHANGES DESIGNED TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY

View this email in your browser October 20, 2025 MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALABAMA PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICE TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON RULE CHANGES DESIGNED TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY Montgomery, AL — The Alabama Public Library Service Board will convene tomorrow for a public hearing to consider proposed rule changes aimed at protecting minors from the promotion of gender ideology in publicly funded libraries. The meeting will be held Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at APLS Headquarters in Montgomery. The APLS Board opened a public comment period on this issue in early September. Written comments were accepted through October 14, and oral comments will be heard at tomorrow’s meeting. Board members will consider all feedback from both written and oral comments following Tuesday’s public meeting. Alabama Public Library Service Chairman John Wahl made the following statement: “The goal of this amendment is to ensure our libraries remain safe, family-friendly spaces for families across the state of Alabama,” Chairman Wahl said. "The APLS Board is committed to keeping our libraries focused on education and encouraging reading, while respecting parental rights and protecting children from sexual content. Sexuality is a deeply personal issue, and parents should never have to fear that their child will be exposed to explicit content they disagree with in our library youth sections.” The proposed rules would set clear standards regarding the placement and accessibility of materials that promote gender ideology and transgender procedures in library youth sections. The amendment reads: “Under this section, any material that promotes, encourages, or positively depicts transgender procedures, gender ideology, or the concept of more than two biological genders shall be considered inappropriate for children and youth.” Final wording will be considered by the Board after Tuesday's hearing. This proposed amendment follows the Board’s policy change last summer, which required sexually explicit books to be moved out of children’s and youth sections. The new rule addressing gender ideology continues the APLS Board’s ongoing effort to protect Alabama’s minors and uphold parents’ rights to guide what their children are exposed to. WHO: Alabama Public Library Service Board WHAT: Administrative Code Public Comment Hearing WHEN: Public Hearing – 10:00 a.m. WHERE: Alabama Public Library Service Headquarters 6030 Monticello Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 MEDIA AVAILABILITY: APLS Chairman John Wahl will be available for comment to the media immediately following the Executive Board Meeting. Estimated conclusion time: 1:00 p.m.