"A plan to have an acclaimed gay author speak to students in Charlotte County high schools has been scrapped after a few parents objected. Alex Sanchez writes books about gay youth and their struggle to find acceptance, but local school principals were not comfortable allowing him to address their students… Keith Pierce, District 10 superintendent, said he changed his mind about allowing the author to speak in area schools after meeting with school principals. 'A few of them were getting pressure from a few parents, and they just weren’t comfortable going in that direction,' Pierce said. Some principals felt their schools were just 'not ready' for the kind of presentation that Sanchez will give, he said." [CBC]

A contentious queer novel has returned to the Rochester, New York's Webster School District's summer reading list.

Alex Sanchez's Rainbow Boys tells the story of teeny-bopper faglings coming into their out own. And, needless to say, the story caused a bit of a stir, but garnered even more praise.

The book's 2001 publication led School Library Journal to plead: "…Please, have the courage to make [Rainbow Boys] available to those who need it — it can open eyes and change lives." Regardless, Webster officials worried the text crossed a few too many lines, particularly lines of the sexual variety. Unsure of the explicit carnal content (not the homosexual overtones) they removed the book from its summer reading list, thus making it ineligible for the two essays due come September. The book would remain available in the library.

Sanchez, however, cried "censorship"…

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