https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/1174255616
“McDowell and Cooke wrote about another student’s story focusing on the extremely high rates of suicide for transgender people and the importance of belonging and acceptance. “This story addressed churches and church leaders, challenging them to take an inclusive stand: ‘Rejection literally kills trans people. But affirmation and acceptance literally save our lives. … So which side will your church choose?’” they wrote.
“Public librarians have a responsibility to provide critical services to underserved populations,” McDowell said. Communicating about social justice issues is “walking the talk of diversity and inclusion. Public libraries have the most benefit for people who have the least,” she said.
“Librarians can tell the stories of systemic barriers that potential patrons face, such as lack of public transportation and a lack of minority representation in library collections, McDowell and Cooke wrote.
“When communities have, for example, been overlooked or marginalized and services to them have been un- or underfunded, social justice storytelling can be a first step in reversing those trends. … These stories help make the case for broadening services despite pervasive social inequities that make injustices invisible,” they wrote.
Imagine the messianic delusion and the absolute lack of situational awareness involved here. Notice that these “professors” don’t call for librarians to be doing this on their own time, but in their official capacities as public employees. This quote: “Public librarians have a responsibility to provide critical services to underserved populations” could be the absolute perfect encapsulation of the “mission creep” mindset.
I wonder…which “critical” services does she mean? Medical attention? Hygiene? Addiction treatment? Massage? Chiropractic adjustment? Haircuts? Babysitting? Food preparation? Refrigeration? Dry cleaning?
And what could be a better idea for a field of work whose practitioners are already being accused regularly of grooming children into precocious sexuality by supplying them with “gay propaganda” than to urge them to directly and vocally/visibly confront the churches in their communities about not being “trans-affirming” enough.
Idiocy. Whatever is coming for our once-serious profession will be earned.
The Apolitical Librarian 