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A high school board meeting in Chicago, Illinois became a lightning rod for the current culture war. Some parents and other area residents attended a board meeting for Community High School District 99.
The protesters carried signs that said, "NO PORN" and claimed that their children were being exposed to homoerotic language and images. And at the center of all this is an autobiographical memoir titled Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe.
The board meeting was recorded and uploaded to YouTube.
The protest was organized by the far-right, Trump supporting, SPLC designated hate group, The Proud Boys. Because of their postings on social media, many parents and protesters came thinking their children were being indoctrinated with gay pornography.
But the book is far from it. While the book does contain some discussion and depiction of sexual acts, most of the book is about the author's self-discovery in their own identity.
The book isn't required reading for any class, yet that didn't stop protesters from claiming that it's:
"liberal code for teaching children how to perform oral sex, anal sex, wear strap-on dildos."
The same protester who said this, also said:
"It's not your right to decide if our minor children should have access to pornography."
Some other parents were questioned about the book with one father claiming it made him sick. When questioned further, he said he hadn't read it, but just watched a YouTube video about it.
As you can expect, their claims were taken with a grain of salt.
*Members of the Proud Boys — a far-right neo-fascist group which has recently latched onto school board protests around the country — promoted the meeting on a messaging app commonly used by far-right activists and urged each other to attend… https://t.co/AcKT7yoHGK
— Zaila Avant-garde Stan Account (@stacydavisgates) November 16, 2021
This isn't Mississippi, Alabama or Texas. Its freaking Chicago.
There are book burning, Nazis everywhere. https://t.co/CrHBthJSJx
— Kilgore Trout (@CohibaSmkr) November 16, 2021
So two things:
1) Homphobes view everything LGBTQ as sexual in nature even though it isn't
2) the city name of “Downers Grove" sounds like a pornographic sex act in and of itself so not sure what they're complaining about lol https://t.co/frdax6PEdr
— Riley Constantine (@biologicalriley) November 16, 2021
God, I wish I had book that taught me how to be gay as a kid. Figuring it out on my own wasted a lot time
— Steve - Mare🏳️🌈 (@GayRubberSteve) November 17, 2021
It's. Not. Porn. The mention of Proud Boys helping to organize is incredibly concerning but not entirely surprising. I appreciate the community stepping up and pushing back. https://t.co/Jyc34zXo1n
— MK 🍂🎃🍁 (@rundoughnut) November 16, 2021
More importantly, the students refused to be left out of the conversation. Many had their own opinions on the controversy surrounding the book.
Lauren Pierret, a senior at the school, said:
"Let's not present getting rid of Gender Queer as censoring our children from sex. It's homophobia."
She also pointed out that other books with graphic sex scenes like The Handmaid's Tale are still available in the library, and the parents aren't protesting those.
Another senior, Josiah Poynter said:
"Inclusion matters to young people. This is why we must have this book in our school's library... It brings comfort to people who feel unsolved and cast out."
The student's counter protest fairly successfully defended the book.
I am so consistently impressed by the ways my daughters' generation are engaging with our politics. They care, they show up they don't tolerate BS and they #leadwithlove. Thank you. https://t.co/WDBqRiR0dB pic.twitter.com/thqT9MEJtK
— Sean Casten (@SeanCasten) November 16, 2021
See if the library has the Hunger Games books.
Kids killing other kids for food.
We did have an interesting discussion around that one, but kept them.
— Ironing Man (@TrueIroningMan) November 17, 2021
Everyone knows that books are the only place people find porn.
PS God, I love the kids!!
— Kathleen Mulcahy✍🏻 (@KathleenMulcah3) November 16, 2021
Kids have the entire internet in the palm of their hands. How is taking a couple books out of the library doing anything but appeasing the 'own the libs' part of these idiots' brains?
— Marie Rodriguez (@UtahnSailor) November 17, 2021
Those student speakers 👏👏 https://t.co/CVKHE2R9lt
— Elly (@ellysaysopa) November 16, 2021
The superintendent said they would review the book's availability due to the two formal complaints, but it met the standards for inclusion in the school library.
The meeting wasn't even intended to discuss the book, but was forced on the meeting by the small band of protesters. It isn't part of any required curriculum, and only one copy of the book was available for check out at each library at the two high schools.
Elsewhere Gender Queer has been successfully banned by similar protest tactics. Virginia's largest school district removed the book earlier this year due to "parents' concerns."