American Library Association's Marxist president calls blowback over leadership 'regrettable,' claims her political agenda 'doesn't drive' organization



The American Library Association's new, self-described "Marxist lesbian" president told NBC News on Monday that the blowback over her leadership is "regrettable" and claimed that her political agenda "doesn't drive" the organization.

In a recent interview with NBC News published on Monday, the ALA's president, Emily Drabinski, addressed the controversy regarding her leadership at the association following a resurfaced Twitter post.

Drabinski, who became ALA president in July, celebrated her victory in April 2022 by posting on social media.

"I just cannot believe that a Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect of @ALALibrary. I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity! And my mom is SO PROUD I love you mom," Drabinski wrote in the now-deleted Twitter post.

She later doubled down on her political affiliation in an interview, stating that being a Marxist is "very much who I am and shapes a lot of how I think about social change and making a difference in the world. But of course, I tweeted it into the middle of an extremely fractured society. One where we have the rise of an extremist right that has come for everything that I care about."

Drabinski voiced her support for "queering" the library by adding literature with a "queer perspective" to the catalog.

The ALA faced pushed back for hiring a self-proclaimed Marxist. In July, the Montana State Library became the first state entity to cut ties with the organization. Following Montana's decision, conservative lawmakers in Arizona, South Carolina, Texas, Wyoming, Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and Idaho implored their public and school libraries to withdraw from the ALA.

Additionally, a new national organization, the World Library Association, launched in July in response to the ALA's decision to hire a Marxist.

The association's executive director, Dan Kleinman, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the new World Library Association aims to "provide some kind of counterbalance to this big group that has been pushing these inappropriate books that they have been for decades."

Drabinski addressed the pushback on Monday to NBC News.

"I was excited to highlight and celebrate two aspects of my identity that are really important to me, and are often under a lot of scrutiny," she stated. "I didn't anticipate these kinds of targeted attacks being used as a bludgeon against library workers across the country. I really think that is regrettable, and I wish that wasn't happening right now."

Drabinski referred to the criticisms against her as "organized pro-censorship efforts" by individuals who "want to erode support for public institutions that enable access to information for everyone," the outlet reported.

She told NBC News that she does not want the organization to "get stuck talking exclusively on the terms that they have set for us rather than the terms that I think the rest of us operate on every day."

"My own personal political viewpoint is a target right now, but my personal agenda doesn't drive the association," Drabinski continued. "It's the agenda of all of us together."

The ALA expressed its support for Drabinski in response to her recent interview with NBC News.

"Together, we will continue to support the work of libraries now and in the future," the association wrote on Twitter.

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Idaho's publicly-funded libraries should withdraw from Marxist-led American Library Association, says GOP lawmakers: 'Exposing children to explicit materials and injecting hard-left politics'



Republican Idaho lawmakers are urging the state's publicly-funded libraries to cut ties with the Marxist-led American Library Association, according to a Monday statement.

The Idaho Freedom Caucus, a group of 13 Republican legislators, issued a statement this week blasting the nation's largest library association for hiring a new president, Emily Drabinski, who described herself as a "Marxist lesbian."

Calls for Idaho's Commission for Libraries to withdraw from the ALA come a week after the Montana State Library voted 5-1 to sever ties with the nonprofit, making it the first state entity to do so.

"Our oath of office and resulting duty to the Constitution forbids association with an organization led by a Marxist," Montana Commissioner Tom Burnett stated following the unprecedented decision.

"Marxism stands in direct opposition to the principles of the Constitution of the United States," Burnett continued. "It's fair to discuss and learn about Marxism, not to affiliate with Marxist-led organizations."

In response to the withdrawal, the ALA said in part that it "remains committed to providing essential support, resources, and opportunities for every library and library worker in every state and territory across the nation to help them better serve their communities."

On Monday, the Idaho Freedom Caucus expressed "significant concerns" about the ALA's decision to hire Drabinski.

"Her election raises issues about libraries' involvement in exposing children to explicit materials and injecting hard-left politics and sexuality into publicly funded libraries. With her election, we have concerns about libraries' adherence to their educational purpose and their responsible use of taxpayer funds," the Republican state lawmakers stated.

After securing the election for ALA president, Drabinski posted on Twitter, "I just cannot believe that a Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect of @ALALibrary. I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity!"

On a separate occasion, Drabinski doubled down on her Marxist claims, noting that it is "very much who I am and shapes a lot of how I think about social change and making a difference in the world. But of course, I tweeted it into the middle of an extremely fractured society. One where we have the rise of an extremist right that has come for everything that I care about."

The new ALA president's writing revealed that she supports "queer theory" and suggested the "queering" of library catalogs.

The Idaho Freedom Caucus stated that Drabinski's Marxist objectives aim to "undermine the West by eradicating the traditional family, natural sexual relationships, distinctions between sexes, and the orderly structures that accompany them."

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Montana State Library cuts ties with American Library Association after new president identifies as 'Marxist lesbian': 'Constitution forbids association with an organization led by a Marxist'



In an unprecedented move, the Montana State Library voted on Tuesday to cut ties with the American Library Association after its new president repeatedly claimed to identify as a "Marxist."

The seven-member commission voted 5-1 this week to "immediately withdraw" from the ALA, making it the first state entity to leave the nonprofit, the Daily Signal reported.

In April 2022, Emily Drabinski was elected to become the ALA's next president. In celebration of her victory, she wrote in a now-deleted Twitter post last year, "I just cannot believe that a Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect of @ALALibrary. I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity! And my mom is SO PROUD I love you mom."

In an interview, Drabinski stated that she was shocked about the blowback she received for declaring herself a Marxist.

"I was very surprised because the end of that tweet, which no one ever mentions, is that I also said, 'My mom is so proud of me,'" she stated.

Drabinski explained that being a Marxist is "very much who I am and shapes a lot of how I think about social change and making a difference in the world. But of course, I tweeted it into the middle of an extremely fractured society. One where we have the rise of an extremist right that has come for everything that I care about."

She added that "there are no public concerns about libraries grooming children" and that it is only "an extremist view."

However, in 2013, Drabinski wrote an article stressing the importance of "queering" the library, stating, "Queer theory informs new strategies for teaching the library catalog from a queer perspective."

Commissioner Tom Burnett filed the motion to sever ties with the ALA, stating, "Our oath of office and resulting duty to the Constitution forbids association with an organization led by a Marxist."

"Marxism stands in direct opposition to the principles of the Constitution of the United States," Burnett added. "It's fair to discuss and learn about Marxism, not to affiliate with Marxist-led organizations."

The ALA responded to the withdrawal on Thursday, detailing its membership benefits.

"In the last two years, ALA has awarded more than $218,000 to 23 Montana libraries via program grants ranging from $6,000 for Digital Literacy Training Workshops to $35,000 from ALA's Library COVID Relief Fund. Most recently, ALA announced a $10,000 grant to a Montana tribal college library. For its services to the broader public, ALA has received numerous awards and recognition," the ALA said in part.

It concluded, "Despite the decision in Montana this week, ALA remains committed to providing essential support, resources, and opportunities for every library and library worker in every state and territory across the nation to help them better serve their communities."

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