Alabama’s state library agency is pushing a rule change that would prevent children from accessing books that “positively” depict transgender procedures or what the agency calls “gender ideology.” 

The Alabama Public Library Service is set to hold a public comment hearing on the proposed rule change on Tuesday.

Current law in the state requires that libraries remove from children’s sections books that include sexually explicit and inappropriate content. 

The proposed rule change would expand the law to state that “any material that promotes, encourages, or positively depicts transgender procedures, gender ideology, or the concept of more than two biological genders” is inappropriate for minors. 

Critics of the proposed change call it censorship. Read Freely Alabama said in a letter that the proposal is an example of “extreme government overreach” and that it violates the constitutional rights of Alabama residents. 

However, supporters of the change say they are protecting children and complying with state law, as well as President Trump’s executive order declaring that there are only two genders. 

The APLS board member who proposed the change, Amy Minton, told AL.com that libraries already engage in “censorship” simply by choosing what books to include in their collections out of the millions of books published.

“Selective censorship already occurs daily as librarians choose every day which books they will purchase,” Ms. Minton said. 

A group that advocates for keeping LGBTQ-themed books out of children’s hands, Clean Up Alabama, says the rule is “not censorship” but instead about “responsibility” and the “protection of minors.”

The executive director of Clean Up Alabama, Hannah Rees, said in a statement, “We are grateful that APLS continues to lead with courage.”

“Their commitment to Alabama families, to child safety, and to constitutional integrity is not only refreshing — it’s essential,” she said.