The Joy of Gay Sex will return to the
shelves of the Nampa, Idaho, public library after the
American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue for
removing it and The New Joy of Sex back in June.
The ACLU wrote
the Nampa Library Board a letter last week urging it to
reverse its decision to ban the titles from open shelves,
according to the Idaho Statesman. The books
were then made available only to those who went to the
library director's office and specifically requested
them.
The five-member
board met on Friday, deciding to publicly carry the books
after a 3-2 vote.
The books have
been in contention since 2005 when a Nampa resident
complained that his friend's teenager saw The Joy of
Gay Sex on a library table. The man
unsuccessfully requested that the library board remove the
books, but after board membership changed, he was able
to sway the group this past spring.
The board said it
removed the books from public shelves to protect minors
from sexually graphic illustrations.
Friday's decision
was not so much a change of heart but a change in
policy, according to the Statesman. As a
"matter of fiscal responsibility" the library board said it
could not afford a potentially costly First Amendment
lawsuit. (Michelle Garcia, The Advocate)
