Huntington Beach Advances Ordinance Screening Children’s Library Books for ‘Obscene’ Content

A Huntington Beach City Council meeting in Huntington Beach, Calif., on June 22, 2023. City of Huntington Beach/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

The City of Huntington Beach is moving forward on June 22 with a proposal to require the city’s libraries to screen children’s books for obscenity and pornographic content.

The City Council voted 4–3 to approve the proposal, introduced by Councilwoman Gracey Van Der Mark, which directs the city manager and city attorney to develop several different screening methods and present them to the board in September.

Councilors Van Der Mark, Pat Burns, Casey McKeon, and Mayor Tony Strickland voted to approve the proposal, while Councilors Dan Kalmick, Natalie Moser, and Rhonda Bolton dissented.

Van Der Mark said she proposed the measure because parents had brought to her attention books with obscene and age-inappropriate content in teen sections of the city’s libraries.

In a presentation at the meeting, Van Der Mark presented examples of such books.

Huntington Beach Public Library in Huntington Beach, Calif., on June 21, 2023. Julianne Foster/The Epoch Times

One, aimed at children ages 3–6, called Granddad’s Pride, shows a young child at a Pride parade with his grandfather, where two men in harnesses fondle each other in public.

Another book called Gender Queer—a graphic illustrated memoir for grades 7–12, recounts the author’s exploration of sexuality from adolescence onward—and discusses and visually depicts characters dealing with gender dysphoria, masturbation, sex toys, and sex acts.

One scene, censored by Van Der Mark, illustrates full nudity as characters engage in oral sex.

Another book, called The V Word, describes female-on-female oral sex and sex acts in explicit detail, while the book “S.E.X.,” describes and illustrates disturbing sex acts.

The proposal drew hundreds of passionate parents, teachers, and community members on both sides of the issue to the meeting. Many spoke during public comment, extending the meeting past 1 a.m.

Some parents likened the proposal to book banning.

“By banning books, you’re basically saying you don’t trust us with our families. You’re on a slippery slope,” one public commenter said.

City Hall in Huntington Beach, Calif., on June 7, 2022. Julianne Foster/The Epoch Times

Others commended Van Der Mark for what they said was looking out for children.

“We don’t want to ban anything. We simply question whether it is the role of a public library to interfere with the most intimate aspects of children’s lives by exposing them to sexually explicit material not authorized by their parents,” said another public commenter.

Van Der Mark said she wasn’t looking to ban such books—just for ways to “protect” children from certain content.

“What I am asking is that we look into different ways to protect kids from this,” she said during the meeting. “Parents, check these books out. If this is what you want for your kids, go for it.”

Strickland, the mayor, said he initially had some concerns about the proposal, but that he was “floored by what’s in those books.”

And Councilman McKeon said, “To me, this all boils down to a simple question: is pornography allowed in the library that’s paid for by tax-paying residents?”

Councilwoman Bolton said she trusted the libraries and the booksellers’ safeguards against obscenity, and urged parents to attend to what their children check out of the library.

“There are safeguards against obscenity at every step. That’s just the way the book business works,” she said. “The default is, the government doesn’t get involved. The parents decide [what books their children should read].”

The proposal also instructs the city attorney to ensure the ordinance complies with the First Amendment, and to consider the definition of “obscenity” within its context and for the city manager to look into its agreement with the American Library Association to see if its and the city’s perspectives on the matter are aligned.

Huntington Beach has five public libraries.