Idaho's publicly funded libraries should withdraw from Marxist-led American Library Association, say 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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