Education

Self-Proclaimed ‘Marxist Lesbian’ Library Org President Tells UK Group To ‘Have A Comrade’ In Fight For ‘Social Change’

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The self-proclaimed “Marxist lesbian” American Library Association (ALA) president encouraged a group of British librarians to seek out a “comrade” when promoting social change and mass action, according to a keynote speech unearthed by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Emily Drabinski, the ALA president who recently come under fire over a resurfaced tweet calling herself a “Marxist lesbian,” gave a June 21 keynote speech to the Academic Libraries North Conference, a coalition of higher education libraries across the U.K., about organizing  to create “the world [librarians] want,” according to a video viewed by the DCNF. In her speech, Drabinski details how librarians can “win” against the “pro-censorship movement” and “the rise of political extremism on the right.”

“[The rise of political extremism on the right] is something that consumes my every day,” Drabinski said in her keynote speech. “I have served as president-elect of the American Library Association for the past year and in that time I’ve visited or talked with hundreds of library workers about what they are facing on the frontlines of their libraries.”

As an example, Drabinski spoke about a library director in Boundary County, Idaho, who stepped down following a “political atmosphere of extremism,” the recording shows.

“One of the differences about the right in the United States is that they are heavily, heavily armed, and they had taken over every part of the city and county government in Boundary County,” Drabinski said. “They owned the school board. They owned the city council, the sheriff’s office. Each of those public bids had been taken over by political extremists who have a sort of far-right white supremacist fascist approach to politics. They want to control the region.”

I believe that we will win.

— Emily Drabinski (@edrabinski) July 21, 2023

Showing a photo of a crowd of individuals with signs and bullhorns, Drabinski discussed how “social change” will only occur if individuals rally and protest, the recording of the speech shows. Drabinski encouraged individuals to use spreadsheets and to build “comradeship” when organizing “mass action” to create “social change.”

“The comradeship is what is really crucial and important. Like those of you at [conferences], how tight are you now with your colleagues because you have been through and you do go through something together?” Drabinski said. “And so building those connections prior to a big action is important. Ask someone to go with you and make it fun. It’s not all dire all the time. My friend Leah, comrade Leah, and I the ALA president thing is kinda our joint project and I say what really helped us win was that all we do is laugh, we just make each other laugh.”

The ALA recently came under scrutiny following the resurfaced tweet of Drabinski calling herself a “Marxist lesbian.” The Montana State Library (MSL) Commission voted on July 11 to leave the ALA over her tweet, becoming the first state to do so.

Mississippi and Idaho Republicans called on their state to cut ties with the ALA following the resurfaced tweet and the MSL vote. The state of Mississippi has given the ALA nearly $70,000 of taxpayer funds since 2015, a press release stated.

With more than 50,000 members, the ALA provides public and school libraries with professional development courses as well as “access to top-notch resources [and] tools,” the organization’s website states.

On Monday, the World Library Association, the second nationwide librarian association, launched to compete against the ALA. The new association will provide public and school libraries with model policies, trainings and assistance based on “political neutrality” and “common sense.”

Drabinski and the ALA did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.