Opponents of Book Bans Outnumber Conservatives at New Mexico Library Meeting

In response to conservatives who support book bans calling people to protest a meeting at a New Mexico library, defenders of free speech mobilized. The call to protest in support of banning LGBTQ+ literature backfired on those who publicized it, with most attendees opposing the move.

The Rio Rancho Public Library was filled with more than 100 people holding signs protesting book bans earlier this month, Albuquerque NBC affiliate KOB reports.

“The books they may not want their children to read, I might want my children to read. So they can certainly control it at home, but they shouldn’t restrict these books and make choices for everybody about what books people should read or not read,” Indivisible Albuquerque member Willie Orr said.

Indivisible Albuquerque is a progressive political action committee.

Although a book ban was not on the city library board's agenda on August 14, a tweet from the conservative group New Mexico Mass Resistance led to a large turnout.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the account urged people to attend the meeting to “defend the heterosexual nuclear family.” However, the post failed to motivate its intended audience.

“We, the people, will continue to show up every time to make sure that we continue to have the freedom to read what we want to read; it’s important,” a person who spoke at the meeting said.

According to the TV station, book removals from the city library require a formal process.

It is possible to challenge a selection by completing a “request for reconsideration” form.

A resolution adopted by the Rio Rancho city council earlier this year stated that the city supported the library’s collection choices.