ALA strongly protests rollback of protections for our nation’s transgender students For Immediate Release Fri, 02/24/2017 Contact: Macey Morales Deputy Director Public Awareness Office mmorales@ala.org<mailto:mmorales@ala.org> CHICAGO – Today American Library Association President Julie Todaro released the following statement strongly protesting the rollback of protections for transgender students in our nation’s public schools. “The Trump administration’s decision to revoke important protections for transgender students couldn’t conflict more with the library community’s fundamental values and the principles upon which libraries are founded. Transgender students deserve the right to use restroom facilities that are aligned with their gender identity. On average students spend 6-7 hours per day at school, and every student deserves to learn in an environment free from discrimination. We believe this federal policy must be reinstated because it ensures that all students are treated fairly nationwide. “ALA, its members, all librarians and library professionals are committed to diversity, inclusiveness, and mutual respect for all human beings, and we will work tirelessly to ensure full representation of all members of society. “ALA provides gender neutral restrooms at our conferences, and we will not hold our large and economically impactful meetings in states where ‘bathroom bills’ have been passed. Our Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) division canceled one such program in North Carolina last year. “We stand with our transgender members, colleagues, families and friends, and we fully support the work of our Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT), whose members continue to lead the fight to abolish intolerance for all of society. “ALA will work closely with all of its partners for reinstatement of these protections as soon as possible.” The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 57,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.