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A FEW GATES: An Examination of the Social Responsibilities Debate in the Early 1970s & '90s
Social responsibility will someday become once again a burning issue for libraries. Others will come together with new hope, new Congresses for Change, new challenges to make the tired and sterile professional mind whirl about in confusion and anger. (Armitage 1973, 41)
He who defines the terms wins the argument. (Josey 1973, 32)
The July/August 1992 cover photo of American Libraries (AL) depicts a nondescript group of people standing behind a banner that reads, "Gay and Lesbian Task Force: American Library Association" (since renamed the Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Task Force). Readership reaction to this cover was swift and surprisingly virulent and homophobic.
I was very displeased by the front cover displaying gay and lesbian librarians marching down Market Street... as a matter of fact I wanted to puke! I have already been called on the carpet by library board members who feel the American Library Association is a "lunatic fringe" association. (Witt 1992, 625)
I still find it reprehensible that an association I am a member of chooses to glorify homosexuals. The vast majority of the American people do not support such a lifestyle that flies in the face of sound family values and a healthy physical and mental wellbeing. (Hartwell 1992, 843)
When I saw how ALA is not a professional organization, but a left wing political group, I vowed that it would never receive a penny from me again.... We think homosexuality is WRONG - W-R-O-N-G. It is against God's laws.... I propose that all God-fearing librarians start up an alternative library organization [at the time of this writing, a right-wing organization called Family Friendly Libraries is in the process of development]. (Michell 1992, 843)
Tom Gaughan, AL's editor at the time, pointed out that
just 24 hours after the advance copies...of AL reached our offices, I began to get educated by readers who were irate over the cover photo....
The first call was from a man so livid he had difficulty speaking... he "didn't care what people do behind closed doors" but it didn't belong on the cover of his professional association's magazine. He also said he "lived in a nice neighborhood" and didn't want...