We are a group of Botetourt County residents who have come together to promote healthy, wholesome, and age-appropriate children's books and media and to ensure that only these are offered to children in our public libraries.
We oppose the efforts of the Botetourt County Library Director and the American Library Association to make available to children books and materials that distort human sexuality. We oppose any efforts to sexualize children and to confuse them about gender.
We are NOT proposing book banning. In fact, our libraries remove hundreds of books each month from shelves to make way for new books. Those removed books are not "banned." But they were removed because of someone making a judgment about the value of the books.
What we ARE proposing is the establishment of sensible and reasonable community standards. We the residents of Botetourt County deserve input into what is added and what is removed to better serve our community and our community standards.
And this is not about free speech. The Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment does not protect obscenity (1973 Miller case). And the Court ruled in 2003 (US vs. ALA) that “libraries have wide discretion to exclude pornography and other sexually explicit material” and that “a library’s interest in protecting its minor patrons from harmful sexual materials is not only legitimate, but compelling.”
Stand with us and demand that the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors orders the removal from libraries of sexually explicit material aimed at children and teens. Keep in mind, it is our tax dollars that provide these books and DVDs.
What's at stake? What happens when children are confused about gender and sexualized from an early age?
- From 2007 to 2017, suicides for 15-19 year-olds increased by 76% and suicides for 10-14 year-olds increased by 178%.
- In a 2020 survey, 25.5% of 18-24 year-olds admitted to having seriously considered suicide in the past 30 days.
- In a 2023 survey, 46% of 13-17 year-olds identifying as LGBT and 34% of 18-24 year-olds identifying as LGBT considered suicide in the past year.
- In a 2022 survey, 42% of 18-24 year-olds have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (primarily depression and anxiety). 57% of those are on medications (typically SSRIs).
- From 2016 to 2020, drug use among 8th graders has increased by 61%.
- Among sexually active 14-19 year-olds 45.5% of females and 22.5% of males have been diagnosed with HPV infections. HPV is linked to different cancers and has been blamed for a sharp increase in throat cancers.
- Almost half of the 26 million new cases of STD infections reported in 2018 occurred among 15-24 year-olds.
- Schools reported 15,000 sexual assaults in 2017-2018, a 55% increase over the previous year.
- The number of High School students identifying as LGBT went from 11% in 2015 to 26% in 2021, a 136% increase. The percentage of High School females identifying as LGBT in 2021 was 40%.
That's not a natural, organic development - this is being created!
In July, our County Supervisors doubled down by unanimously passing resolutions in support of our Library Director who is directly responsible for the books in question and for all existing policies which allow these books to be acquired. Instead of introducing children to the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, they apparently want them exposed to the evil, the false, and the ugly. They no longer represent our community values.
What Can You Do?
Contact your County Supervisor and demand that these books are removed
Call 540 928-2006 or email:
Amsterdam District
Steve Clinton (Library Liaison)
Blue Ridge District
Billy Martin
Buchanan District
Amy White
Fincastle District
Richard Bailey
Valley District:
“Mac” Scothorn
Attend the next Board of Supervisors Meeting and give your opinion during the Citizens Comments session:
Board of Supervisors | Botetourt County, VA (botetourtva.gov)
Contact your State Legislators and tell them you want the obscenity law exemptions for schools and public libraries repealed in Virginia
Delegate Terry Austin
540 254-1500
Senator Steve Newman
434 385-1065
district23@senate.virginia.gov
Educate yourself
To learn about the books and to see for yourself what's objectionable, click below on The Books (for Adults Only)
To see the latest news and resources on this issue, click below on Resources
To better understand the current library policies and processes, and the role of the ALA, click below on Libraryspeak
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details and accept the service to view the translations.