ALA members approved two resolutions—one supporting “Civil Marriage Equality Regardless of Sexual Orientation” and the other on “Libraries and the Continuing Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan”—at two Membership Meetings during the Association’s Annual Conference in Chicago.
Larry Romans, who coauthored the civil marriage resolution with Locke Morrisey, said some gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered librarians are not permitted to take advantage of tax breaks for couples, multiple car discounts, insurance and retirement benefits, and hospital visitation rights. “Brittany Spears can get a marriage license for a marriage that lasts for a weekend,” Romans noted. “I can’t get a marriage license even though I’m ready to celebrate my 39th anniversary with my partner. It’s not equitable and it affects a lot of us who are library workers.”
Calling the antiwar resolution “a continuation of what we’ve been doing for years,” cosponsor Al Kagan said, “We need to reorient our budget from fighting wars, killing people, destroying cities, destroying people’s homes and livelihoods, and build libraries, support libraries, museums, and cultural institutions in both the United States and in the country that we fought wars in.”
In addition to questions about the Association’s finances, including whether members of the Executive Board were streamlining expenses, a discussion on libraries in hard times was lead by Committee on Library Advocacy representative Patty Wong and Washington Office consultant Chris A. McLean. ALA past president Carol Brey-Casiano and Washington Office consultant John Windhausen also talked about the work of the Office for Library Advocacy in a discussion titled “Libraries in Tough Times.”
The two resolutions were sent to ALA Council, where the one on civil marriage passed and the one on war failed, primarily because the majority of councilors found it outside the role of the Council.