Ala. Lawmaker Wants to Ban "Gay" Books

Sadly, we may be seeing more of these types of stories if politicians continue to misread President Bush's "mandate":

Alabama State Representative Gerald Allen is on record as wanting to ban gay marriage, but now he's turned his attention to the state's libraries--both public and school. Allen wants to pass a law to ban books with gay characters. He also wants textbooks that suggest homosexuality is okay out of state schools.

Fortunately, though, Alabama is not without its voices of common sense:

"It's censorship at its worst, and it also keeps Alabama at the top of the list as a laughingstock in the United States," says Donna Schremser, Director of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library. Schremser says there are probably hundreds of books on library shelves that would be condemned by Allen's bill. She points out that All The King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren, would likely be banned for a gay character. All The King's Men, was the book Huntsville city read just a few years ago.

"I don't believe in removing books or destroying books because it reminds me of the Nazi regime," says Madison's Carol Benjamin.

Observers familiar with Alabama politics concede that Rep. Allen's proposal has little chance of becoming law.