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R ebel W ith
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R
a
C ause
iced, those teens would have no options left,
Rood says, and it would be a step backward.
“ I’m mostly worried on behalf o f other peo
ple,” she says. “I’m doing this on behalf of 10 per
cent o f teen-agers out there.”
“T h at’s my biggest complaint,” Rood says.
“They are trying to do something that (the filter)
doesn’t do."
Consumer Reports agrees. The publication
tested nine of the most widely used filtering sys
tems and rated six.
T he study found they all work differently and
block not only prohibited sites but inoffensive
material as well. Some kept kids from viewing
the anti-abortion site Operation Rescue, com
plete with photos of aborted fetuses, while other
systems permitted it. The report’s conclusion:
ood was in middle school when she started
questioning her sexual orientation. A n
exceptional student and the offspring o f a librar
inority and low-income students also
ian, she knew well what to do when she wanted
would suffer under such a law, the A C L U
more information about something: Sh e headed
says. Numerous studies point to the digital
for the public library.
divide: W hite children are far more likely to
She could have started with her home com
have Internet access in their homes than blacks
puter. After all, an Internet connection is only a
and Latinos.
few clicks of the mouse
from more information on
human sexuality than any
one ever would have time
to read.
But Rood wanted some
privacy. She says she didn’t
feel comfortable doing her
research at home, where
someone could interrupt
her very personal and pri
vate quest.
A t the library, she
typed “gay teen-agers.”
Those words would open
the doors to a new under
standing o f the young
woman she was, offering
crucial support from other
teens across the country
and a new life.
N ot long afterward, she
came out to her twin sister,
Kate, and then her mom.
A year later, when the
Oregon Citizens Alliance
started to gain momentum
with another anti-gay bal
lot measure, Rtxxl stepped
forward. She came out to
her entire school when she
penned an editorial, “Les- Joan n a R ood has taught Em m a and K ate about the importance of access to information
bian Freshm an Speaks
O ut,” for Wilson H igh’s student newspaper. T hat
But access and freedom o f speech are not the
W ho is deciding what should be blocked and
article resulted in a television news appearance
only issues. T he blocking technology utilized on
what should not?
and a higher profile in gay rights efforts.
public and private computers is far from perfect.
“The flaws in blocking programs are not a
Rood says she got crucial information from
T he lawsuit claims Web sites that do not fall
matter of individual flaws,” Hansen says. “They
the Internet and the library’s books and maga
under the categories proscribed by the law often
are inevitable given the task and the limitations
zines. More important, she
o f the technology.”
found the support o f others
Multnomah
who could relate to what she
C oun ty Library, and
was experiencing.
others, say the law
She was lucky. But all
makes their mission of
youth don’t have access to
helping people find
the information they need,
exactly the informa
she says.
tion they need impos
Small-town kids could be
sible. T he lawsuit also
at a particular disadvantage if
includes libraries in
Internet access is limited.
M aine,
C alifornia,
Wisconsin, New York and Connecticut.
Rural libraries likely don’t have books about sex
are blocked out by today’s technology. The
A C L U cites examples including a list of the
ual orientation, not to mention national gay and
The case first will be heard in a Philadelphia
lesbian magazines.
Mayflower passengers, Seventeen magazine, a
Circuit Court, although a hearing date has not
map of Disney World'and the U .S. Army Corps
been announced. Rood is unsure what her exact
T he Internet might be the only lifeline for
o f Engineers.
role in the case will be. S h e ’s been told she
some youth struggling with the issue. If it is lim-
might be asked to give a deposition or even trav
el to Pennsylvania to testify in person.
However, the A C L U has told Rood and her
F o r Y o u r I n f o r m a t io n
mother to expect attention from local and
national press. A Supreme Court case involving
the issues of children and pornography seems
of the penis and male urethra” was blocked, but
mma Rood says a middle school classmate
ripe for a media whirlwind, and a lesbian teen
couldn’t obtain any information while con we had lots of reading to do on “satanic worship.”
plaintiff
could heighten interest.
“Safer
sex”
info?
Pretty
difficult
to
get.
ducting research on the Internet for a report
“White power” Web sites? Too many to list. C on
T hat doesn’t seem to faze this teen-ager.
about “humpback whales.”
servative abstinence-based safe-sex sites? Nope.
S h e’s come out before. In fact she’s come out a
So, Just Out decided to visit the main branch
few times: at home, at schtxil and to an entire
“Transsexual”
info
was
a
go,
but
"transgender”
of the Multnomah Country Library and test out
sites were blocked.
city.
the filtering software for ourselves. This is what
Doing a report on “bisexuality” ? Think again.
"Now I’m out to the country," Rixxl declares,
we found.
“Condomcrazy.com" was blocked, but
glancing over at her proud and adoring mom.
"Lesbian vaginal infections and other ST D s”
instructions about “how to suicide” were there
“Out to the rest of the world!" J H
was forbidden, but we found plenty of informa
for the reading. “Gay.com.” No. “Men.com.” No.
tion about “how to make a bomb."
JustOut.com? Thankfully, yes.
JONATHAN Kirr is a Just Out staff reporter who
A science paper on “abnormal development
can he reached at jonathan@justout.com.
M
r,
ÏL .
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Small town kids could be at a particular disadvantage
if Internet access is limited. Rural libraries likely don't have books
about sexual orientation, not to mention notional gay
and lesbian magazines. The Internet might be the only lifeline
for some youth struggling with the issue.
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