An Anchorage, Alaska, district librarian privately defended a pornographic book that was in the district by invoking the Holy Bible as a defense of providing those materials to children, internal emails show.
The Polaris K-12 public school librarian Rachel Gregory discussed the book "This Is Gay" that was previously in circulation in the district and said it was a "slippery slope" to ban it, while comparing it to the Holy Bible in an October 2022 email to the school's principal, Carol Bartholomew. The internal documents were obtained via public record request by a local parent, Jay McDonald, and were reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Bartholomew appeared to solicit talking points and information from the librarian after receiving community pushback about the book.
The book in question discusses engaging "saunas and sex parties," which can pose a higher risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections. However, the librarian maintained in the email that the book does not anywhere "encourage unsafe behavior."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "saunas, sex clubs, or private and public sex parties where intimate, often anonymous sexual contact with multiple partners occurs, may have a higher likelihood of spreading monkeypox."
Gregory told the principal, "I am reading it now - it is graphic and blunt in a cartoony, keep it light way - but there is a tremendous amount of good information… The reading level is 14+ and the author constantly discussing safety, safety, safety. On another note-I have the Bible on the shelf, 12 verses refer to Sodomy and sexual behavior, selling your daughter into slavery.... This is such a slippery slope. Let me know what else you need."
"I fear it will be pulled off the shelves in our ASD libraries," she said.
The book calls porn "fine and fun" and lists a porn star as an "inspiratio[n]."
One of the casual apps recommended in "This Book is Gay" is called Grindr. The book mentions the fact that it is 18+, and seems to have an indifferent approach to minors using it, saying "it happens." The book also cautioned minors that they should not send naked pictures of themselves via the app because it would be considered child pornography and is "illegal."
According to an article written in a California law journal, Grindr's "flimsy age verification process" "facilitates inadvertent illicit activity among its adult users." Grindr's terms and conditions state that it prohibits underage persons and users must be legal adults to accept the terms and use its services.
"As a result of its flimsy age verification process and its indiscriminate marketing, Grindr poses risks to both minors and adults. Minors who sign up for the app risk encountering predatory behavior, while adult users risk inadvertently engaging in criminal activity," wrote Julie Kvedar in the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal in 2020.
"In creating a Grindr profile, users may encounter just a single notification that the app is for adults only: the requirement of entering one’s birthdate," Kvedar said.
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Similarly, "This Book is Gay" characterizes Gindr's entry pathway. It states, "If you are on Grindr under the age of 18 (it happens) be aware that swapping ‘adult’ pics is actually illegal – you are distributing child pornography, even if it's of yourself."
Grindr previously told Fox News it blocks and bans accounts that violate its terms of service. Users can be flagged by its Spectrum Labs’ machine learning technology for indications they may be underage. "Grindr is intentionally classed in the most restrictive category on both Apple and Google Play app stores, which means parental control settings in both operating systems can be used to prevent the app from being downloaded on an underage person’s device."
The principal then used the information provided in the email by the librarian to respond to a concerned parent.
Fox News Digital previously reported that the district recently purchased a book called "Let's Talk About it." The book unpacked "kinks, fantasies, and porn."
"There's nothing wrong with enjoying some porn, it's a fun sugary treat," the book said. "When consumed right, porn can help you discover new aspects of your sexuality."
"A great place to research fantasies and kinks safely is on the internet," the book said. "There's tons of people and communities out there who share your interests and have all kinds of advice."
The district claimed it was not available to kids, only to staff, and it was taken down from the library registry around the time a dad exposed it at a school board meeting.
