As RedState has covered extensively, the American Library Association (ALA) is not about the business of expanding education or facilitating the free flow of ideas in America's library systems; it's about indoctrinating America's youth in Marxist thought and gender ideology. As my colleague Jeff Charles reported, it came out of the chairperson's own mouth.

It’s always great when the Marxists proclaim their agenda to indoctrinate children out loud, isn’t it? This is precisely what happened when American Library Association (ALA) president Emily Drabinski told a crowd of comrades about how she wants libraries to be places where kids can be influenced to embrace the virtues of socialism.

In a report on her Substack, author and psychologist Dr. Karlyn Borysenko hurled the ALA into the spotlight after doing some undercover work at a conference titled “Socialism 2023.” “While initially slated to be a speaker at Socialism 2023, Drabinski’s session was canceled amid growing concerns about her Marxist ideology,” Borysenko wrote. “Several state library associations severed ties with the national organization as a result.”

Nevertheless, Drabinski was present at the conference and even participated in some of the discussions, including one titled “Freedom to Learn: Black And Asian American Solidarity Against Attacks on Antiracist Education.”

When the ALA president took the microphone, she declared that libraries should be “on the agenda of socialist organizing.”

In case you missed it, or choose not to believe it, listen for yourself.

Charles further wrote,

In this report, Borysenko exposed the true mission of the ALA, which is funded by you, the taxpayer. The organization is using your hard-earned money to fund the indoctrination of your children. It would be clever if it weren’t so devious.

This revelation highlights why Drabinski censored figures like actor Kirk Cameron, a conservative Christian, by trying to blackball him from reading about traditional values to children in libraries. Authoritarians like Drabinski do not believe in the free expression of ideas. They would rather use their power to crush dissenting voices – especially from the right. This should cause us all to ask: What does this mean for the future of intellectual freedom in education?

Ding! The ALA has chosen to make Brave Books and Cameron their personal target. They are not just indoctrinating children through their focused selection and placement of LGBTQ and gender ideology-friendly books in libraries, they are indoctrinating adults who do the footwork of blackballing Brave Books, and probably other conservative publishers and organizations, like Moms for Liberty. You didn't think the LGBTQ+ and Drag Queen activists got these ideas on their own, did you? Now the leftist Christian segment has gotten involved, offering "alternative" events in tandem with the Brave Books Story Hours as a form of protest. 

That is their right. It is still a free country. Part of discourse is offering alternatives and allowing them to be heard. 

But these "alternatives," are not made for discourse, but for drowning out the voices they do not like. Not one of these people has actually sat in on a Brave Books Story Hour in order to see and hear exactly what goes on. Instead, the ALA and its allies in state systems, like Alabama Director of Library Services Nancy C. Pack, choose to target Brave Books because it pushes back against Marxist indoctrination and sexual grooming, and they no likey. 

This occurred in Alabama, at the Madison Public Library on August 5. Brave Books and Moms for Liberty hosted their "See You At The Library" event, along with 45 other states and almost 300 counties across the U.S.A. As RedState reported, this particular event became controversial because Madison County Public Relations Director Jay Hixson let Moms for Liberty Chapter Chair Emily Jones (who organized the event) know they would be canceling her reservation of a public meeting room because of security/capacity issues. After Brave Books with the help of First Liberty Institute, issued a legal demand letter, the cowards reinstated the reservation but capped the number of attendees, which is what should have occurred in the first place, instead of the county's knee-jerk response. What was more interesting was the "counter-protest" which RedState also mentioned.

There were also reports of protests, including a counter-protest by a TikTok user named Lindsay, who posts under the name BHamBlueDot. According to her video, Lindsay is asking all to meet her across from the library so she can pass out copies of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Du Mez. Du Mez shared this information and the video on her X profile as well as via her Substack. Lindsay also encouraged teachers to come to receive the book All Are Welcome, a children’s book that encourages diversity and inclusion. Lindsay alleges in the video that, “We don’t want to match their hateful energy; we want to be there to support teachers and librarians.” She encouraged people to bring signs that say something nice like, “We support teachers” or “Moms for Literature.”

When this writer covered the August 5 event, my intention was also to speak with Lindsay (BhamBlueDot) about why she felt the need to mount this counter-protest. Her TikTok and X feeds read as one would expect someone who digests left-leaning outlets and the deconstructionist Woke Jesus Social Justice claptrap. I did engage with one protestor, who was very sweet and answered my questions. She explained why she came out to protest and how Moms for Liberty's "book banning" is a "slippery slope."

It is clear that aside from the Southern Poverty Law Center talking points, this lady has no clue what Brave Books is about, what happens at their story hours, and that no banning of books goes on at their story hours. In fact, when it come to books, there is only the reading of them. When free speech is allowed to happen in the public square the best ideas will rise to the top. That is exactly what the ALA and the activists who swallow their propaganda wholesale are afraid of.

Kelly Jensen, an ALA-friendly activist who writes at Book Riot poo-pooed the results of the August 5 "See You At The Library" events solely on the basis that Brave Books did not choose to post pictures or brag about the results. 

There is nothing on Brave Books’s website to suggest it was an overwhelming success. There are no photos from events that took place across the country, though their website claims that they’ll be hosting this as an annual event “to promote free speech and traditional values in public institutions.” They may have hosted 300 events in 46 states but a few wingnuts renting a room and sharing propaganda does not a success make.

Apparently, this person was too lazy to look over the social media and write-ups about the day (other than whatever was written at Fox News), which were overwhelmingly positive and showed rooms full of parents and children enjoying their day.

Great See You At The Library event this morning in Bossier City, LA! Kids & families loved it. One family traveled over an hour and a half away to be a part. We prayed, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, read some great @BraveBooksUS, crafts & more! #syatl #syatl2023 @KirkCameron pic.twitter.com/BN9CqBHcI5

— brad jurkovich (@bradjurkovich) August 5, 2023

Last week I had a fantastic time reading books to a great group of kids. Thankful to @KirkCameron and @Riley_Gaines_ for joining us and for everyone who made the Brave Books’ inaugural "See You at the Library” event in Taylor such a success! #txlege #HD52 pic.twitter.com/YB1bsrConL

— Caroline Harris State Representative (@CarolineForTX) August 15, 2023

These activists choose not to get it because it would require they ask the question that my colleague Jeff Charles asked above. What does suppressing one type of speech over another do for intellectual and educational freedom?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Brave Books “See you at the Library” event hosted by Moms for Liberty at the Bettendorf Library Thurs 8/15. Every room reserved from 5:30-8:30 pm to keep other groups out. They are doing these events all over the country to pressure libraries. #NoBookBans https://t.co/hj65Ln1CEs pic.twitter.com/zc2FSrohef

— Deb VanderGaast (@DebCares4Iowa) August 7, 2023

The fact that on September 2, Chair Emily Drabinski felt the need to double down on her statement and agenda is further proof that what Brave Books has done and continues to do, is successful. In light of those comments by Drabinski and her clear agenda against free speech and traditional, wholesome, and patriotic literature, Brave Books pushed forward. On September 23, it hosted a "Woodlands Story Hour" at the South Regional Library in Woodlands, TX. Brave Books CEO Trent Talbot was in attendance and had this to say about the Drabinski statement and the ALA's agenda to target the publisher.

At BRAVE Books, we know how important it is to instill virtuous principles in our children at a young age. We can't let the next generation be exposed to inappropriate materials in their classrooms and at libraries, so have decided to push back. We want this next generation to grow up with wholesome materials that parents can trust and that kids love.

Talbot read from The Island of Free Ice Cream. which talks about socialism. State Rep. Steve Toth helped to host the event and read from Kevin Sorbo's Brave Book The Test of Lionhood, about embracing and embodying true masculinity. Kirk Cameron was scheduled to make an appearance, but his flight was delayed. So, he sent a virtual message that was quite on point.

WATCH:

This story hour event engendered yet another counter-response, this time from the LGBTQ community. A group known as "The Woodlands Pride" announced on their Facebook page: 

According to Brave Books Chief of Staff Zachary Bell, 

[T]hey claimed they would be giving away free ice cream at Town Green Park, the park across from the library. They called it, “Popsicles with Pride” where they had a “pop up event as we kick off collecting inclusive reading material for The Montgomery County Memorial Library System. Drop off a donation or just pop by and have a popsicle!” 

As you can see from the Facebook posts and their photos, the group claims the reading material for children is "inclusive," as though any of the Brave Books titles are not. In the photo of two children with what appears to be their lesbian moms, one of the kids is holding a book to be donated to the library. The book is called, Bodies Are Cool, and it is presented as joyful celebrations of all types of bodies. 

Innocent on its face, but gender ideology is at its underbelly. The front cover has several cartoon images of these different types of bodies, and one is a "man" with double mastectomy scars; not really a good reflection of body acceptance. According to Bell, there are other images like this inside the book, as well as, "transitioned adults, a naked baby, breastfeeding, mentions of different kinds of tummies, and states that you can 'define' your own body. This book is promoting gender ideology on babies and toddlers." 

Well and good. While these activists sought to soft-peddle their confusion, Brave Books did what it does: offered a wholesome alternative and a safe place for patriots and Christians to express their love of country, love of family, and love of God. From the audience attendance, this was well received.

Brave Books CEO Talbot concluded,

We hope that Christian conservatives see what we are doing and wake up to the reality that if we don’t fight for these institutions like our libraries and public education, they will be lost in short order, and once they are gone, they will be near impossible to win back.

Parents all over the nation who oppose this ALA-rooted agenda need to join with Brave Books in pushing back. One way to do this is to continue to host story hours, maybe weekly or monthly. Brave Books and Kirk Cameron did excellent work in sparking the movement, but it is up to Americans who believe in values, patriotism, and our history to continue the work and counter the lies and indoctrination.