A California school board discussed new criteria for banning books in a meeting Tuesday night, amid fierce objections from parents to a graphic novel called “Gender Queer: a Memoir.”
Members of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s school board discussed their new criteria to a full house of parents who were divided on the issue.
“Gender Queer” has been scrutinized by parents across the United States for explicitly depicting sexual acts and discussing masturbation.
“It’s a matter of indoctrination,” parent Mike Arata told FOX 2 San Francisco. “They’re going after kids’ hearts minds and souls with stuff that neither the parents want, nor is it appropriate for those kids.”
California parents attended the San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s school boarding meeting amid discussions about banning books in the district. (KTVU )
Another parent was astonished at the proposition of banning books, arguing that children can “see themselves represented” in controversial books.
“It’s unfathomable how we could be here in this nation in this day and age, talking about banning books where kids see themselves represented. And that’s why I have to be here,” parent Anuradha Gupta said.
Author Maia Kobabe said that her book was “a lot less explicit than it could be” during an interview with Morning Edition last month.
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“Gender Queer” and other sexually graphic books have come under fire for being presented to children, with the North Dakota legislature considering a ban on such material (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
“The topic of gender touches on identity… and it touches on sex,” Kobabe explained. “And it’s hard to fully explain I think what like how a gender identity can impact every facet of life as an adult without touching at least a little bit on sexuality. And I wanted to at least not to like shy away from that.”
A father in Rhode Island lambasted his child’s school district for refusing to remove “Gender Queer” from the shelves, accusing them of circulating pornographic material.
“Rather than teaching these kids about math, English, and science… these kids are being used and abused in order to help these people achieve some kind of sick agenda that they have,” Robert Chiaradio told Fox News Digital.
Maia Kobabe is the author of “Gender Queer,” one of the most banned books in America. (Maia Kebab | YouTube/Screenshot)
San Ramon Valley Unified School District told Fox News Digital that the books in their libraries are carefully selected by accredited librarians.
“The books in our libraries are consistent with the current Board approved process and align with the educational philosophy and strategic directions/goals of the district,” a spokesperson said.
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Fox News’ Hannah Grossman contributed to this report.
