VIDEO: My Library Visit to See if Sexually Graphic 'Gender Queer' Is in Children's Section
The sexualization of children is an issue I am concerned about, which you know if you’ve been following my writing and podcast. One thing I have zeroed in on since hearing about it is Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe—in particular, the fact that it has found a home on the shelves of some school libraries. Schools are closed for the summer, but I believe we should also know if it’s in the young adult and/or children’s sections of public libraries. So I took a trip to the Cape Girardeau Public Library to check things out.
I expected it to be there. It is, apparently and sadly, a popular graphic novel—in addition to being atop the list of “most challenged” books. My main concern was where it was located in the library. This is what I discovered:
While I am glad to see that it is not front and center in the teens or juvenile sections, children can still ask for it, and I’m sure they have. I doubt there’s a policy to stop them from taking it out. Look, I’m not a big fan of banning books. What I believe is that there are places certain material just doesn’t belong, and this particular book doesn’t belong in the hands of children, although the author wrote it for children—which is sick in and of itself. But, honestly, the more I think about it, the bigger the bigger picture becomes. Should a book showing children engaging in anal and oral sex be legal for anyone to publish, promote, sell, lend, and read anywhere? Children are children, and their innocence should be protected, not exploited.
We have reached a place where some people have embraced adults acting on their attraction to minors. We used to call these people the degenerates they are and beg them to repent. Now, that’s getting watered down with sweet little labels, such as “minor-attracted person.” That, somehow, is more palatable and, even as the National Library of Medicine points out, “received generally higher support than other terms and appeared to be least divisive.”
I have not read Gender Queer, but as far as I know, no adults are engaging in intercourse with children in its pages. (If someone knows otherwise, please leave a comment so we all know.) Nonetheless, displaying images of children with children is still wrong—for children to see and for adults to digest.
Is it becoming increasingly clear yet that decent, moral people are not afforded the quiet-sit-back-and-do-and-say-nothing life? If that’s what you thought you were, I’m sure you’re realizing that’s just not an option anymore. Too many adults are deceived and asleep. The children are depending on the rest of us to be awake and active.
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