After nine controversial years at the helm of the Anchorage Public Library system, Director Mary Jo Torgeson is finally stepping down.
Torgeson’s reign has seen the implementation of Drag Queen Story Hour in which cross-dressing drag performers lead young children in song and dance while reading books that celebrate gender non-conformity. She has also promoted LGBTQ books, clubs and activism in the library – even bragging to the Library Advisory Board in 2018 that her youth services librarian goes out of the way to address teens by their new “nonbinary” names, while offering controversial gender identity books to teens without their parents’ knowledge.
Under Torgeson’s leadership the five libraries run by the municipality have undergone a rapid transformation as local epicenters against so-called systemic racism, white privilege and social inequity. The library network has taken steps to reeducate and reform its staff and rework its book collections and other materials to better reflect what Torgeson considers properly “equitable, diverse and inclusive” libraries.
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One of Torgeson’s final projects was to harness the annual “Anchorage Reads” program to host a six-month, community-wide discussion on the book, “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist ideas in America,” by Ibram X. Kendi. The book pushes the idea that Americans are steeped in racism which manifests through systemic racism in education, law enforcement, housing, lending, health care and more. For younger readers, there is a youth-oriented version of the book.
For her “tremendous transformation” of Anchorage libraries, the Anchorage Assembly is prepared to honor Torgeson at its April 13 meeting with a resolution acknowledging her “strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
While Torgeson’s replacement has not been announced, no job listings for her position appear on either the library or municipal webpages.
26 Comments
I love how WHITE liberals push systemic racism idoelogy when most of them have probably never spent any time in the minority communities that they think they’re defending. These librarians are the scum of society for subjecting innocent children to this satanic behavior and I hope they all burn in hell
Amen.
all I can say is sick these people are a embarrassment to American.
Good riddance to bad rubbish. Libraries have gone from being refuges to leftist command centers.
Amen, brother
I think the assembly needs to give her the Curly Bill treatment.
Well……..BYE!
Prosecute and jail these seed planters of communism and vile perverse education of our children… Demons is what they are and we need to stand against these enemies of what is good,,,, The quiet librarian myth….
This lady pushed her agenda gay thinking first! She is mentally ill – face it she threw away a lot of publications there were our United States history- Anchorage get ahold of your self and start fixing what you destroyed thru having her in the lead!!
Great Librarian! Speaking truth to power. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of our past.
You need to stop the race theory in our schools
Tata…
I think it’s definitely time for a new librarian and I am quite shocked a: “For her “tremendous transformation” of Anchorage libraries, the Anchorage Assembly is prepared to honor Torgeson at its April 13 meeting with a resolution acknowledging her “strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.” REALLY??? Privately this person has their own lifestyle, opinions but RUNNING THE LIBRARY and making policy decisions affecting CHILDREN!?
She will be missed! I hope her replacement shares her values of equality for all.
Thank you, Mary Jo Torgeson, for your leadership in navigating difficult topics, allowing all a voice and representation. By encouraging open and respectful discussion we can learn to recognize other ways of being successful humans.
I hope you take all your covid shots so we don’t have to deal with retards like you in 3 to 5 years
Gay and transgender people have long been part of humanity but have been forced to hide. Librarians are committed to openness and free thinking, for all humans. Thank goodness a bastion of freedom exists among those who would deny the humanity of minority populations. Treating people humanely and respectfully is preferable to dehumanizing and harming them.
And people like you are part of the problem with our degrading society. You want to be gay then be gay and keep it in your own house. Stop trying to force the rest of us to accept your bull shit!
yeaaa you r correct
Our community is so fortunate to have had Toregson as our head librarian. Encouraging the honor and respect of all people is quite the legacy – thank you!
Wow! Sounds like she went above and beyond to help everyone feel welcome and included at the library. I hope her replacement will have the same values in mind.
MaryJo Torgeson is leaving our library and community a better place as she retires. I’m so thankful for all she has done to be inclusive, and increase diversity and equity. Libraries are one of the few free public places for people to be, access information, and be truly welcomed. Thank you MaryJo!
This is a true leader! She will be missed and the youth that needed her will hopefully take her love with them into a healthy future.
Everybody on this thread that supports this nasty whore needs to be locked in a rubber room and have electrodes shoved up their rectum. You are all mentally ill for supporting this harlot. Satan will feast on your flesh!
yeaaa you r correct
There is no sane reason to expose children to pedophilia and drag queens as anything remotely normal. Leftism (like Torgesen preaches and promotes) poisons everything it touches. Her “record” is proof of that fact.
I’m so puzzled with the health state of those parents, who are willingly taking their little children to those “story times”. I saw news about these events in the libraries in the way gone to hell states, but I thought our state of Alaska is in no way will be in those pants. How was I mistaken!
You know, that the demand gives rise to supply. So if we would have healthy society, we would not have these kind of entertainments for children.
I think those parents are some kind of victims of child abuse and should be in a therapy sessions instead of parenthood.