Americans For Truth News Release, Sept. 18, 2006

NAPERVILLE, Illinois – Americans For Truth President Peter LaBarbera today charged liberal activists with rank hypocrisy in accusing GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin of “book banning” because she or her constituents once expressed concerns about controversial books such as Daddy’s Roommate in the Wasilla Public Library.

“All the charges of book-banning and censorship of books like ‘Daddy’s Roommate’ obscure the Left’s role as the nation’s leading Institutional Censor in keeping traditional and faith-based books on homosexuality and other issues OUT of public libraries,” LaBarbera said.

Americans For Truth is readying the launch of its “Library Fairness Project” to correct the severe pro-homosexual book bias in local library collections nationwide. AFTAH will work with other organizations like PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays) to help citizens make requests to their local libraries to have balanced collections on homosexuality – i.e., parity between pro-homosexuality books and those opposed to the “gay” movement. The latter will include books by former homosexuals (“ex-gays”) – a subject despised by liberal, pro-gay activists intent on hiding the truth that many men and women have left that sinful lifestyle.

In a recent story on Palin, the New York Times quoted a former Palin aide describing “Daddy’s Roommate” as a book “which helps children understand homosexuality, and said it was inoffensive.” The colorful picture book by homosexual writer-activist Michael Willhoite (who now calls Palin “my mortal enemy”) is about a young boy whose dad divorces his mom and goes to live with his homosexual “roommate,” Frank.

“The New York Times‘ elitist reportage to the contrary, Daddy’s Roommate – which even shows the boy’s father and Frank in bed together – is certainly “offensive” to most parents — at least the ones still ‘clinging to their religion,’” LaBarbera said. The picture book, which aims to mainstream homosexual behavior, innocuously asserts: “Being gay is just one more kind of love.”

Said LaBarbera: “There are other ‘kinds of love’ — such as incest, polygamy and open marriages — but we don’t teach them to innocent, impressionable children using one-sided books and euphemisms favored by advocates of these aberrant lifestyles.

“The fact is, Wasilla parents and then-Mayor Palin were right to be concerned about young children stumbling upon Daddy’s Roommate in the library,” he said. “Across the nation, citizens have asked that this and similar propagandistic gay books like King and King either not be carried or that they be put in a reference section to protect children from accessing them without their parents’ knowledge and supervision.”

LaBarbera says liberal “censorship” of conservative books is often accomplished institutionally – e.g., through the filter of politically correct book reviews in publications like the influential magazine Booklist, published by the liberal American Library Association.

“I’ll take the liberals’ charges of ‘censorship’ seriously when they offer to help us in correcting the massive pro-homosexual book bias in local libraries,” LaBarbera said. “Until then, their harangues against ‘book banning’ are about as accurate as that Saturday Night Live skit making fun of Sarah Palin.”

Family Friendly Libraries News Release

www.fflibraries.org                                                     

April 18, 2007

(770) 932-9994; Information@fflibraries.org

Family Friendly Libraries, a national grassroots organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the need to protect children from harmful materials in public libraries, has granted two Awards of Recognition to libraries which meet the organizations Standards for Public Libraries.

“We are thrilled with the public response to our nomination process. We have received nominations from all across the country in just the four weeks since we announced the awards process,” said Family Friendly Libraries President, Denise Varenhorst. “To have five award winners at the outset is just fantastic,” she added.  

The two libraries that have earned this award are the Gwinnett County Public Library in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, and the Manhattan Public Library in eastern Kansas. “Both of these libraries meet all seven of our Standards for Public Libraries and deserve to be commended,” Varenhorst said. These standards include the utilization of Internet filters in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act, allowing parents to limit their minor child’s borrowing privileges, and providing a separate area for materials parents may wish to pre-screen for their children.

The former Mayor of Manhattan, Kansas, Mike Taussig, and Gwinnett County Commissioner, Mike Beaudreau, will present the awards to their respective library boards.

In addition to the two Awards of Recognition, Family Friendly Libraries is bestowing three Gold Star Awards for the month of April. Gold Star Awards are given to individuals or libraries which demonstrate exemplary dedication to local control and protecting children in libraries

Gold Star Award winners for April include Maggie Brooks, the Monroe County Executive who threatened to halt library funding if the library would not stop the public viewing of pornography, the Minneapolis Central Library staff, whose report of a patron viewing child pornography led to federal charges, and the Mount Clemens Public Library, which temporarily suspended Internet service after obscene images were found displayed on computer screens in public view.

In addition to receiving award certificates and letters of commendation, award winners are listed on the Family Friendly Libraries website www.fflibraries.org. Citizens and library leaders are invited to nominate libraries in their communities for Family Friendly Libraries awards via the Family Friendly Libraries website at www.fflibraries.org

Monday, January 22, 2007 — MBN’s Jon Gauger interviews Laurie Higgins, a staff member at an affluent suburban Chicago area high school, regarding normalization and celebration of homosexuality in public schools. Mrs. Higgins offers cogent reasoning that you can employ with your local school administrators and your church leaders. This radio programs presents a rare opportunity to hear from a professional who has really made a difference in one of the most politically and morally liberal communities in Illinois.

(This interview is in hour 1, segment 2, and starts approximately 4 minutes into the audio. The segment is 4 minutes in duration.)

TAKE ACTION – Listen and then keep Laurie Higgins in your prayers.

Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez, was removed from the list of about 200 books earlier this month by Webster Central School District officials. The book was not removed from the school library.