The APLS Board will vote on the gender ideology amendment in meeting on Thursday

November 19, 2025 – MONTGOMERY - The Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) Board will meet on Thursday to consider a proposed amendment to the APLS Administrative Code regarding gender ideology in publicly funded libraries. The amendment is designed to protect children by ensuring that LGBTQ+ propaganda promoting gender changes in youth are kept out of the children's sections of taxpayer supported libraries in the state of Alabama.

The proposed amendment reads:

"Under this section, any material that promotes, encourages, or positively depicts transgender procedures, gender ideology, or the concept of more than two biological genders shall be considered inappropriate for children and youth."

During the public comment period, APLS received over 8,400 submissions, with approximately 80% supporting the amendment. The vote will determine whether the amendment is adopted into the APLS Administrative Code.

The Alabama Public Library Service Board is expected to vote on this proposed amendment on Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

APLS Chairman John Wahl has advocated for the proposed rule change.

"The APLS Board will stand behind President Trump's executive order banning the use of federal funds to promote gender ideology." He emphasized that libraries must "bring their operations into full compliance" to remain eligible for federal grants.

"This is about defending truth and the innocence of children," Wahl stated. "Across the nation, gender ideology has been used to confuse young people and replace science with radical activism. Alabama is taking a stand for biological reality, for parents, and for children's right to grow up free from social agendas in their libraries."

APLS Board member Amy Minton introduced the proposal to amend the APLS administrative code to classify materials that "promote, encourage, or positively depict transgender procedures, gender ideology, or the concept of more than two biological genders" as "inappropriate" for minors.

Minton is currently running for state Senate.

Alabama Eagle Forum has publicly supported the proposed rule change to restrict gender ideology content in Alabama public libraries. They argue this aligns with protecting children from what they view as harmful ideological content.

Clean Up Alabama, another conservative group, has also mobilized public support for the rule change.

Clean Up Alabama is asking for "1 Removal of Materials Contrary to State and Federal Law - Public libraries should not purchase or retain any materials that are targeted, advertised, or published for minors (ages 0–17) that conflict with Alabama's "What Is a Woman Act," the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act (VCAP), or recent federal executive orders affirming that there are only two sexes - male and female - as fixed realities. Materials that promote gender ideology, transgenderism, transgender procedures, or sexual orientation should be considered inconsistent with these laws, executive orders, and current APLS policies and state code. Such materials should therefore be removed from all publicly funded libraries. This provision is not intended to restrict age-appropriate materials on religion, history, biology, or human anatomy.

2. Automatic Removal of Sexually Explicit Materials

We further request that the APLS definition of "sexually explicit" be codified into state law, requiring the automatic removal of such materials without reliance on the Miller Test or the need for public challenges."

Legislation to that effect is likely going to be debated in the 2026 Alabama regular legislative session.

"Library staff and boards should be responsible for identifying and removing these materials. Any library failing to comply should lose APLS funding until the matter is corrected."

The Alabama Library Association (ALLA) has expressed its opposition to the rule changes proposed by the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS).

ALLA has raised concerns about restrictions on materials with "positive portrayals" of gender diversity, which ALLA and others view as unconstitutional and harmful to intellectual freedom.

Eagle Forum has criticized the American Library Association (ALA)'s "Freedom to Read" stance, arguing that it promotes unrestricted access to materials they believe are inappropriate for children.

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