The Alabama Public Library Service Board of Directors has banned materials that discuss transgender procedures, gender ideology, or the concept of more than two biological genders from the childrens and young adult sections of the states public libraries.The board approved the change to its administrative code in a November 20 vote, declaring such material inappropriate for minors, according to the Associated Press. Related Republicans cut a librarys funding over LGBTQ+ books. Then the community did something surprising. As the Alabama Reflector reports, the change is more expansive than what was originally proposed by board member Amy Minton earlier this year. Mintons proposal would have banned positive depictions of gender ideology and transgender procedures, but board chairman John Wahl argued that material critical of trans people should be banned from childrens sections of the library as well.I dont think that was ever the intent that we should be allowing negative content and not positive content, Wahl, who also serves as the chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, said, according to the Reflector. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today According to the AP, Minton said that public comments the board had heard indicated that this is what the majority of people in Alabama want, a claim refuted by Jim Vickery at a recent board meeting.Most of the people of Alabama have not asked for this latest library-fixated assault on the LGBTQ community because its their children and children of friends and relatives youre attacking with this misguided proposal before you, Vickery said. Advocacy groups, including Read Freely Alabama, PEN America, Every Library, and the Alabama Transgender Rights Action Coalition, blasted the boards decision in a joint statement. The amended language, they said, is overbroad and will result in all books featuring trans representation being moved to Alabama libraries adult sections, regardless of their age relevance. The groups described the term gender ideology, which is not defined in the administrative code, as a vague, undefined term often used as an anti-LGBTQ+ dogwhistle.Angie Hayden, a co-founder of Read Freely Alabama, explained that because state regulations prevent libraries from acquiring books aimed at children if those books have also been deemed inappropriate for children, the long-term effect of the change will be that childrens books featuring trans representation will disappear entirely from library shelves in Alabama.So long term they are banning these books, Hayden said, according to the AP. According to the Reflector, groups including the Alabama Library Association have alleged that the process that led to Thursdays vote is unfair and lacks transparency.This was all a mechanism for which they could have the end result that they already predetermined, Hayden told the outlet. She also suggested that Wahls positions as chair of both the state library services board and the state GOP represent a conflict of interest. I think he used one to influence the other.Thursday nights meeting also saw the board delay a vote on restoring state funding to the Fairhope Public Library. In March, the board voted to suspend funding to the library after anti-LGBTQ+ groups Clean Up AlabamaandMoms for Liberty complained that it was in violation of rules approved in 2024 that require obscene and sexually explicit material to be limited to adult sections. In September, the APLS board delayed a decision on whether to reinstate Fairhopes funding until it could review all 17 of the books challenged by parents. According to the Reflector, Wahl is the only board member actually reviewing the books and will report back to the rest of the board.Are you becoming the censor-in-chief for Alabama? board member Ron Snider reportedly asked Wahl at the November 20 meeting.Prior to Thursday nights meeting, Fairhope Public Library Board members learned that APLS had already redistributed the remaining $22,000 in 2025 funding withheld from the library because, Wahl told the Reflector, Fairhope was not in compliance with the APLSs administrative code by a June 30 deadline mandated by state law.I had hoped that if they voted to reinstate us, that we would get the money, Fairhope Public Library Board Chair Randal Wright told the Reflector earlier this week. Now, I am assuming they are going to vote no because there is no money to give us.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.