Thank you! I guess either the original message I got was incorrect or we stored the memory of the interaction incorrectly. Hopefully we can correctly remember it from now on.
it’s official: in Arkansas, library staff may now be charged with a Class D felony for providing books to their communities that are deemed “obscene”.
in Florida, school librarians and teachers can be criminally charged for checking out books to kids that dare to touch on LGBTQ topics & gender identity, thanks to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
book censorship in the US is at such an all-time high, book sanctuaries are popping up all over the country.
library staff aren’t physically safe, either. over the past couple months, “threats directed to public and school libraries and library workers have forced temporary closure of five public library systems due to bomb and shooting threats,“ ALA. active shooter trainings have become the new norm for me.
the censorship myself and my colleagues have been watching unfold over the past couple of years has felt like watching a slow-motion car crash.
but this bill? this feels like a death knell for my profession.
when I was a confused queer kid growing up in an ultra-religious household, the library was my refuge. when I asked hard questions, librarians listened and gave me the tools I needed to answer them. in many ways, libraries saved my life. it’s why I became a librarian.
I can’t believe I’m living in times where future generations of kids may not have access to the same refuge I did, but it’s happening.
if you live in the US and you care about protecting open, equitable access to information, please check out the American Library Association for anti-censorship resources in your state, info on contacting your representatives, etc.
you can also report censorship you see in your community and ALA will investigate (1-800-545-2433, ext. 4266; oif@ala.org).
I know this isn’t my usual content, but libraries are standing on the edge of a horrifying precipice- one we can’t escape on our own.
libraries are free society’s canary in the coal mine, and all the alarms are singing. when libraries fall, nations usually aren’t far behind.
I love S/Is who are just as deranged as their yandere F/Os. S/Is who enjoy pretending to not notice their F/O following them around, who ignore the glint of the hidden cameras around their home, who leaves little trinkets around for their F/O, who puts on shows when they undress and pretends to just be a naive little thing so very unaware all while the excitement of it all leaves them in a constant state of bliss. I love S/Is who can’t wait for their creeping lover to finally come out of the shadows, whisk them away, and lock them up forever. I love sick and twisted S/Is and F/Os who are the perfect match for each <3
Sorry as someone who teaches rhetoric this is a wonderful response to the Paradox of Tolerance. I cannot tell you how many times my students have had debates about this. This is the response. This does indeed fix it. I cannot wait to tell this to my classes now. Philosophically and rhetorically this completely resolved the Paradox of Tolerance and I am floored by its simplicity and angry I never saw it before.
