Banned Book Week is wrapping up, and you can bet your bottom dollar that LGBT titles are tops among the small-minded bigots looking to control access to literature.
“Every year, the [American Library Association] and other liberal groups use this trumped-up event to intimidate and basically silence concerned parents… the truth is, parents have every right and responsibility to object to their kids receiving sexually explicit and pro-gay literature without their permission, especially in a school setting.” – Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family.
Yes, because everyone knows the best way to make sure kids don’t try to get their hands on something is to tell them they can’t have it.
Courtesy of the National Coalition Against Censorship, here’s a brief rundown of queer titles that the Moral Minority have tried (sometimes successfully) to remove from public libraries, schools and, in some cases, even bookstores.
And Tango Makes Three
(Justin Richardson and Henry Cole, Simon and Schuster).
About two male penguins who raise a chick in the Central Park Zoo, this is one of the American Library Association’s most challenged titles. It especially dangerous in the eyes of homophobes because its based on a true story.
Baby Be Bop
(Francesca Lia Block, HarperCollins)
Among the various provincial groups demanding the the recall of this teen-lit coming-out story for its “graphic language” and for “promoting a homosexual agenda” was the Christian Civil Liberties Union (CCLU) who filed suit against West Bend, Wisconsin for carrying the book in public libraries. But they didn’t just want the book reshelved in the adult section, as others had requested. Saying elderly librarygoers had been “damaged mentally and emotionally” by Baby Be Bop’s presence, they claimed “it’s inappropriate to have it in the library, and we want it out or destroyed.”
Geography Club
(Brent Hartinger, HarperCollins)
The American Booksellers Association named this oft-banned title one of their favorites, so you know it just has to be soul-damaging. Community members from Tacoma, WA (Hartiger’s hometown) to West Bend, WI complained about its “immoral”gay content.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Coming Out in College: The Struggle for a Queer Identity
(Robert A. Rhoades, Bergin & Garvey)
Parents in Fayetteville, Arkansas petitioned to have this fairly stuffy primer removed this from school libraries. Because “The John Birch Society” was already taken, they formed Parents Protecting the Minds of Children and objected to the profane language and depictions of sexuality in the book. They also said anyone who disagreed with their stance was, naturally, promoting a homosexual agenda.
Daddy’s Roommate
(Michael Willhoite, Alyson Books)
Sarah Palin got her panties in a bunch over this children’s book being available in public libraries in her old stomping ground of Wasilla, Alaska, even thought she admitted she had never read it. So to be clear: Daddy being gay and having a longtime partner = bad. Daughter having child out of wedlock and everyone in the family trying to make a buck on reality television = good.
The Education of Harriet Hatfield
(By May Sarton, Norton & Co)
Not only was this book—about a lesbian who faces bigotry and discrimination when she opens a bookstore in a blue-collar neighborhood—taken off the shelves at a New Hampshire high school, an English teacher was fired for refusing to comply.
King & King
(Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland, Tricycle Press)
Another children’s book, this fairy tale fell into the crosshairs of North Carolina and Pennsylvania conservatives for two reasons: It presented the story of a young prince who, when forced to marry by his mother, chose another prince. And two, it’s originally from the Netherlands—and nothing decent comes from Europe.
Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin
(John D’Emilio, University of Chicago Press)
Why do we need legislation like California’s FAIR act? Because homophobes don’t just want to prevent positive depictions of the LGBT community in schools—they want to delete our very existence from the history books. When gay activists in Oklahoma City donated copies of this biography of Rustin, a major player in the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, the haters cried bloody murder. (The school board voted to keep the books). Lets hope no one proves Abraham Lincoln was definitely gay or else kids will never know who signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Rainbow High
(Alex Sanchez, Simon & Schuster)
Bigots in Arkansas must have a lot of time on their hands: Parents Protecting the Minds of Children, the same cabal that wanted Coming Out in College banned, cried foul over this young-adult book series, which featured gay-teen protagonists and the kind of language most teens use (i.e. vulgar). In fact, they were just some of the titles on the list of 55 books PPMC petitioned to be removed from school libraries. You gotta wonder if The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was on that list—Jim and Huck spend an awful lot of time together rafting down the river. We’re just saying.
Stuck Rubber Baby
(Howard Cruse, DC Comics)
A groundbreaking graphic novel that addressed growing up queer in the South, gay liberation and the advent of the AIDS crisis, Stuck Rubber Baby won Cruse worldwide acclaim and numerous awards. Naturally, the Library Patrons of Texas weren’t having it and demanded it be pulled from local libraries. The book was moved to the adult section of the library, but not banned. Score one for us!
Jim
That cover for “Daddy’s Roommate” looks like a parody, it’s just bad: middle-aged, mustachioed dad with much younger looking lover. It’s groan worthy.
Little Kiwi
You gotta love how “BAN THESE BOOKS!” comes from the mouths of people who will claim “FREEDOM OF SPEECH” when it comes to protecting anti-gay speech and rhetoric.
It’s like how “The Catholic League” spends so much of its time looking for children’s books to be “offended by” that they keep missing all the priests butt-fucking the altar boys.
Michael
And Tango Makes Three
(Justin Richardson and Henry Cole, Simon and Schuster).
About two male penguins who raise a chick in the Central Park Zoo, this is one of the American Library Association’s most challenged titles. It especially dangerous in the eyes of homophobes because its based on a…
….based on a what?
Jasun
@Michael: True story.
Michael
@Jasun:
Lol TY 🙂
neil blackburn
I live in a small town just outside toronto… and a quick check of my local library finds 6 out of 10 of these titles… lived for 10 yrs in the US… but glad to be back home
Trey
If you don’t like the book then don’t frickin read it. Is it really that big of a deal? Geesh.
Steve
“everyone knows the best way to make sure kids don’t try to get their hands on something is to tell them they can’t have it.”
I always thought the best way to make sure that kids don’t read something is, to put it on the shelf in the school library.
Pazmateo
I love geography club, and the follow up book too. I guess my town was a little more progressive, as this was in our small town library.
Aiden Raccoon
People still go to the library?
Louis
Some people read the book twice to ENSURE it should be banned…
Andreusz
@Jim: Actually, the younger guy at the back is the father; the one with the moustache is the ‘roommate’.
BlogShag
LOL! Daddy’s Rommate looks like those porn “novels” I used to read at the dirty book store
Karl
when bigots want to ban a book you can bet your ass that they havent even read it in the first place!
josh bellah
its sad to see the loonys ruining our youth with their bigoted opinions!
David Gervais
I know that we hear a lot from the book banners, however lots of other people are glad to read it. Our library system originally bought 24 copies, all but 10 have literally been read to pieces. I take that to prove that more people than just gay families have read it.
as far as I know, the library has never had any complaints about it.
David Gervais
Ooops, my comment referred to And Tango Makes Three.
David Gervais
The American Library Association, ALA.org publishes an annual list of challenged books, and a list of banned or challenged classics. Both are excellent reading lists.
Empyrean
@Steve: “I always thought the best way to make sure that kids don’t read something is, to put it on the shelf in the school library.”
This was funny!
But it is also sad because it’s so true.