Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

North Dakota GOP Bill Would Send Librarians To Jail If They Don't Remove 'Sexually Explicit' Books From Shelves

North Dakota Legislative Assembly hearing on HB 1205
North Dakota Legislative Assembly

North Dakota house committee considered a Republican bill that would allow up to 30 days of prison for librarians who refuse to remove 'sexually explicit' material from public libraries.

A bill introduced in the North Dakota House of Representatives would not only ban books it deems inappropriate from public libraries—it would also allow prosecutors to charge anyone not complying with the law with a Class B misdemeanor.

That would mean the possibility of up to 30 days imprisonment and a $1,500 fine for any librarians who do not comply with the law.


North Dakota's HB 1205 has a section titled "Public libraries prohibited from maintaining or promoting certain books" which defines what the lawmakers who introduced the bill consider "explicit sexual material."

Their definition is probably quite different from what most people would include under their idea of "sexually explicit."

It includes the things one might expect, like sexual activities and human genitals, but also includes completely not obscene topics like sex-based classifications, sexual identity and gender identity.

While the bill as-written only applies to visual representations of the banned subjects, it is unknown whether it would be enforced only on books containing images if it were to become law.

There was a public hearing for HB 1205 held on Tuesday, January 17. The hearing ended without a vote either for or against by the North Dakota House Judiciary Committee.

As of time of writing, the committee had not made a recommendation on the bill.

You can watch the full hearing here.

Many people were horrified by the bill's potential repercussions.

Several people pointed out the major flaws in the proposed legislation.

According to the American Library Association (ALA) public libraries share a common mission to "provide free, equal, and equitable access to information for all people of the community that the library serves."

Unrestricted access to information and anti-censorship are cornerstones of library ethics.

The point of bills like HB 1205 are often more about making the fear of potential repercussions causing people to comply. Just because the law doesn't explicitly ban books that describe the banned subjects—rather than depicting them visually—doesn't mean someone won't use the law as precedent to try to go after a library anyway.

If HB 1205 becomes law, public librarians will have to weigh their professional ethics against the possibility of imprisonment.

More from News/lgbtq

Country Singer Gavin Adcock went on a drunken rant over Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" success.
Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Country singer rants over Beyoncé album

Country singer Gavin Adcock became the title of his next album, “Own Worst Enemy,” after going on an unhinged rant about the legitimacy of Beyoncé's Grammy-winning and record-breaking Cowboy Carter in the country music genre.

Adcock, whose upcoming album is set for release next month, was filmed during a live performance last weekend, complaining that Beyoncé and her album are not “country music.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Dionne Warwick; Tiny Chef
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images; @ToonHive/X

Dionne Warwick Is Ready To Go To War With Nickelodeon Over 'Tiny Chef' Cancellation

You know your campaign against a show's cancellation is achieving widespread attention when you get people like venerated singer Dionne Warwick advocating for you.

Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show was recently cancelled, much to the dismay of its viewers and creators. It was also a genuinely surprising decision, since the show has won an Emmy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep ReadingShow less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less