Maia Kobabe (2019). Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group.
Number of challenges: 151
Challenged for: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit”
Gender Queer chronicle’s the author’s non-binary and gender identity experience through this illustrated biographic. It is a sensitive and candid telling of selfdom that explores innocence and cathartic psyche exploration in an environment that, beyond familial support, feels constantly incompatible.
Alter and Mahdawi discuss the removal of the book by members of the Republican political party whose right-wing, conservative and religion-forward opinions have oppressed many African American and LGBTQIA materials and resources for being “inappropriate”. Mentioned specifically is the Republican Moms for Liberty (MFL) group who states their mission as “dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government” (Moms for Liberty, 2024, para 2). Tracie D. Hall articulated her frustration with the MFL as perpetrators of fundamentalist resistance to reading freely and their efforts in censorship are increasing within the US. There is much opposition from progressive factions, information professionals and those in promotion of free speech to all reading censorship as a “violation of student’s rights” (Alter, 2023, para 10)
Alter also addresses the controversy occurring in several North America states regarding gender identity and the rights of transgender individuals at the time Gender Queer was first in the spotlight. Repression of gender related dialogue within some elementary schools and prohibition of medical treatment for transgender youth are in complete conflict with Kobabe’s coming of age story. As the author states ““When you remove those books from the shelf or you challenge them publicly in a community, what you’re saying to any young person who identified with that narrative is, ‘We don’t want your story here”, cited by Alter, 2023, para 16).
Aside from the topic of gender identity, the basis of MFL sanction is founded in drawings of the author imaging homosexual intercourse, and trying a sexual aid. Although drawn tastefully, and I believe chastely, I do agree such content in not suitable for all youth, particularly those below the age of sexual consent (between 16-18 years in the USA, 16-17 years in Australia), (Age of Consent, 2024; Australian Government, 2024) . This is a situation where the librarian or information professional requires familiarisation with the text and content, and positions it for appropriate patron access in the collection.
It is also where the National Framework for Australian schools policy in health, care, sexual and well-being education included in learning and teaching curriculum policy provides inclusive and comprehensive health information (Victorian State Government, 2023). In comparison the Hechinger Report (Butrymowicz & Preston, 2024) states four sections of sex education within North American schools, three of which are based on abstinence, the last on “staying safe” (para 2) with little to no standardisation in schools. If formalised sexual education information is inconsistent and challenged books are unobtainable US teenagers experience deficiency in the freedom of choice their country prides itself in.