Controversial ‘Gender Queer’ book in circulation at Essex High School library

By Guy Page

A controversial school library book portraying graphic sexual scenes is in circulation at the Essex High School library.

“Gender Queer: A Memoir,” a 2014 graphic novel by Maia Kobabe, (2014) has become an issue in the growing national conflict between parents and school boards. On Oct. 26, an Orange County, Florida parent was removed from a school board meeting by police after he refused to stop reading sexually explicit passages of the book out loud during a school board meeting.

Vermont Daily Chronicle

The book “Gender Queer” appears in the Essex High School library.

As a result of the incident, however, the Orange County school board ordered the books removed from the library shelves, pending review.

“Gender Queer” essentially is a primer for youth on sexual identity, masturbation, gay pornography (individual and group), sexting and performing gay sexual acts.

An Essex parent emailed photos of the copy of the book to Vermont Daily Chronicle. The photos show the book physically on the library shelves and also its very sexually explicit drawings and language. None of the sexually explicit drawings are republished here out of regard for readers’ sensibilities and concern about being accused of publishing pornography.

The Essex High School library website does not include any discussion on how books are selected. Vermonters interested in learning more about the school library book selection process, and whether “Gender Queer” is available in their school district’s library, may contact school libraries directly, or contact their school districts.

On the state level, a law passed by the Vermont Legislature in May, 2021 established a Working Group on the Status of Libraries in Vermont. School libraries are included in its purview, and school librarians are included on the committee. One of its many tasks is to “study the size and diversity of library holdings and assess the strengths and gaps in materials available to Vermonters.”

Guy Page is publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle. Reprinted with permission.

Image courtesy of Vermont Daily Chronicle

15 thoughts on “Controversial ‘Gender Queer’ book in circulation at Essex High School library

  1. TRANSFER your kids to Parochial schools – Catholic schools! Parents……what in the name of GOD is it going to take?????????

    • Or homeschool. Or choose any other independent school that better meets the needs of your children. In any case, if you disagree with how your children are being educated in the monopolized public school system, save them one way or the other. Do it now, before its too late.

    • Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

      While Putin sees ‘…with bemusement the paralysis unfolding in countries that have grown accustomed to viewing themselves as the flagships of progress,” I think it better to experience the debate, to learn about it, to understand the motives and the results, and to compare the freedom and liberty we have in voicing our opinions, as absurd as they may seem from time to time, to the totalitarianism Putin wields.

      Putin is correct in one regard – “it’s none of [his] business’. We’ll work through this and be ever the stronger for doing so. After all, who knows what “the overwhelming majority of Russian society” thinks. Especially when Putin thinks “…the fight for equality and against discrimination turns into an aggressive dogmatism on the brink of absurdity”.

      Spoken like a true tyrant.

      • I think, it is not necessarily where we are, as to where we are headed. We may indeed come out better but, we could just as easily come out lots worse.

    • An excellent free market methodology for assessing risk and reward, Jim. But in fairness, we should read the positive reviews too. After all, not all people are cut from the same cloth.

      Interestingly, while hundreds of reviewers were negatively impressed, only tens of them were pleased with this book. However, while I can be counted in the ‘negative’ column for my children and grandchildren, I recognize the rights of others to approve, even while they are in the minority.

      If a parent disagrees with the Essex High School curricula, regardless of preference, it is incumbent on them to get their children out of that school as soon as possible, and into a school they believe better meets the needs of their children.

      This is why School Choice is of the utmost importance – for everyone!

      • There are many glowing reviews, I suspect many are equating the power and influence of sex with love. There is no correlation, often just the opposite for which many of us have confused the two. In fairness I should get the book and read it, though I suspect it’s a way of justifying mankinds unsatiable and lustful sexual desires. We are very sexual creatures and the misuse of this wonderful gift has been down played greatly, it’s really powerful.

        • Not ‘many glowing’ reviews at all. Clearly, the ‘negative’ responses exceed the ‘glowing’ ones by 10 to 1.

          And what this has to do with ‘sexual desires’, I have no idea – and I don’t care to speculate either. That’s not the point. The point is – in my humble opinion – the book’s premise is misguided and its perversion from social norms most likely a result of societal stress. Read Edward Hall’s aggregation of social research in his book The Hidden Dimension.

          In the meantime, parents who disagree with this curricula should get their children out of the public-school monopoly posthaste.

  2. Wow, sounds like child abuse to me, showing “gay porn ” to children under the legal
    age of 18, the staff in these schools should be brought up on charges, and the school
    should be closed until proper leadership is in charge !!

    Any parent that isn’t up in arms and banging on the administrator or principal’s door, this
    is what you get when you have liberals in charge.

    Don’t forget we only have two genders, everything else is a figment of one’s imagination
    or indoctrination .

  3. Great reporting Guy…..

    Post the pictures, people need to see. How can they give you a hard time, it can’t be porn if it’s in school for 7 year old Joey right?

    Big pictures!!!! Rock the VERMONT sensibilities, otherwise they are going to get away with this and Jory’s parents won’t understand why he can’t read or right but can suck a penis really well 8 years old.

    Expose this garbage, please. Nobody else even has the backbone to talk about it.

  4. Now, how does this book, instantly appear all across the United State? It’s planned.

    If you flip through the pages, you can see them sucking each other’s penis. Hmmm. Wonder why Joey can’t do simple arithmetic?

    You should see what is on the “smart phones”! Interfamilial sex. We tax everything that moves, video rental, Internet connections, movies….

    Why can’t we tax the hell out of the “base entertainment”?

    Why won’t democrats go along with this tax?
    Why wouldn’t republicans propose the tax? like $500 per book!

    How about $20 per day on porn?

    Those who are actively trying to subvert society do not want their plans diminished. The uniparty aka, globalists, aka corporatists, aka NWO pimps don’t want it.

    I’d love more than nothing to make all our legislators sit and watch an hour of what is available to any 5 year old on the Internet and ask them, wtf? You aren’t going to at the very least tax this sh*t?

    Ther is some evil stuff going on in this country, leaders need to call it out.

    • These would be great questions to ask of our governor. Read the book to him in a press conference. In person interviews of our representatives!

  5. ” The photos show the book physically on the library shelves and also its very sexually explicit drawings and language. None of the sexually explicit drawings are republished here out of regard for readers’ sensibilities and concern about being accused of publishing pornography.”

    If the book is good enough for our children then it should be good enough for us adults? /S

    Maybe home schooling is called for!

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