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George M. Johnson, the author of memoir All Boys Aren't Blue, has spoken out in response to a Florida mom who is attempting to have his book banned from school libraries.
After Jill Woolbright of Flagler County, Florida, filed a police report on All Boys Aren't Blue alongside three other books for obscenity, school board members were shocked because they'd never banned books from schools before.
And Johnson, when interviewed on his thoughts, didn't think his book was the book to start the trend.
Book banning in action. Author of "All Boys Aren't Blue" @IamGMJohnson joins @kendisgibson and @lindseyreiser to talk about their book being removed from libraries in at least 8 states and a FL school board member filing a criminal complaint over it. pic.twitter.com/ZVcKEHQBXe
— MSNBC Reports: Weekends (@MSNBCweekends) November 13, 2021
Not allowing your child to read books about homosexuality or books with non-binary protagonists will not “cure" them. It will only leave them feeling more alone. What parent would want to do that to any child? Representation matters and can make all the difference.
— Resistance Schnauzers (@ResistSchnzrs) November 13, 2021
Why are we, a secular nation, letting Evangelical Christianity dictate what we can or can't borrow from the communally-owned public library?
— Erin O'Riordan (@ErinORiordan) November 16, 2021
Why don't their personal beliefs ever just stay personal?
— 𝔄𝔩𝔢𝔵𝔢𝔰 𝔍𝔬𝔥𝔫𝔰𝔬𝔫 (@AlexesJohnson) November 13, 2021
Johnson said the presence of sexuality in his book was for a point of view of what it was like to be young, queer and sexually inexperienced.
"I wanted people to understand why they were cringing. Why they wouldn't cringe at a straight sexual experience being explained but cringe during mine."
"This book was as much part educational as it was pushing back on whatever norms forced you to think my sex wasn't valid or shouldn't be talked about in its full truth."
I am cis-gender and I loved this book. Yes, everyone deserves the right to read this award-winning book if they want from a library collection. Even stupid people who like to censor books. pic.twitter.com/EXsx8OwtwB
— Convict Trump (@KarenKline) November 13, 2021
Criminalizing reading is fascism https://t.co/xFFFtceDug
— Annie MLIS, Librarian AF, Jedi (They/she) 🎮📚 (@dharmascholar) November 16, 2021
All Boys Aren't Blue was one of my favorite books last year. Go read it. Maybe you'll gain some empathy for other humans who aren't exactly like you. And stop trying to ban books, for the love of god. Nothing good comes from this! https://t.co/R5rGojR6Yc
— Amy Duffy (@AmyKDuffy) November 15, 2021
A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT over a book in a school library
Y'all. https://t.co/N7mnmXMyqU
— Matthew Noe 😔💜 (@NoetheMatt) November 15, 2021
Woolbright, meanwhile, has doubled down on her criminal complaint.
"This book needs to be investigated as a crime in our media center. This is pretty heavy stuff, violating our own policies. That's why I felt the need to file the report, so I know it will be investigated."
This is all so ridiculous! A handful of parents get to dictate what students read? No. Our county (VA) has book ban issue happening here too. School Board meeting this coming Monday. I love what this local bookstore is doing/preparing (image). If there's way to help you pls share pic.twitter.com/AhguNPBmaw
— Please_Get_Thee_Vaccinated 💉 (@TimeToSpeakUp4) November 12, 2021
I live a couple of 'red' counties away from this gal and i have a little habit of stuffing the little free libraries with recently "banned" books. ill be purchasing multiple copies to disseminate locally.
— Horace DeWürmer (@ExcaliburJoanz) November 13, 2021
Some obscenity law she filed under against the library. I gagged when I read the article. She went to the police for a damn book!!! Lmaooooooo
— George M Johnson (@IamGMJohnson) November 12, 2021
I can cover this if you like.. I WILL PUBLICLY CLOWN HER. I am absolutely BIASED.
— Keka Araújo (@KAraujoNWT) November 12, 2021
The school board will decide in the upcoming meeting whether Johnson's book will be banned from public school shelves.