Gerald Allen, an Alabama state legislator who wanted to pass a law that would ban spending public money on any “printed or electronic materials or activities” that “sanction, recognize, foster or promote” a homosexual lifestyle. As an editorial in the Tri-City Herald pointed out, this could mean libraries couldn’t buy books by Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Oscar Wilde, or many others.
Allen says he pushed the bill because, “It’s not healthy for America, it doesn’t fit what we stand for. And they will do whatever it takes to reach their goal.” I assume that when he says “they” he means gays, but I don’t know what he means by “their goal.” Could it be that “they” want Americans to read more, so they don’t turn into intolerant jerks?
Fortunately, the Alabama legislature rejected his bill, but he says he’ll bring it up again next session to “protect the hearts and souls and minds of our children.”
Yes, let’s keep our kids from reading “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,” “Streetcar Named Desire,” “In Cold Blood,” “The Important of Being Earnest,” and other great pieces of literature That’ll keep them pure, and leave them plenty of time to read the US Constitution — which Mr. Allen might want to brush up on, too.