LGBTQ

LGBTQ

**Censorship History ** Book banning is one of the most prolific forms of censorship in the United States, which is rather ironic considering how sacred we hold freedom of speech. Book banning seems to be aimed most commonly at children with the rationale being that we are protecting them from dangerous ideas. The arguments have been that books are "pornogrpahic", "undermine parental authority", and "lack literary merit". Parents and political and religious groups seem to be the ones that determine the criteria and it is more of a personal agenda then actually wanting to protect children.

Many groups fight to ban material that offer a positive portrayal of gay characters or subject matters because they believe it idealizes, condones, or encourages homosexuality. These groups mistakenly believe that gays and lesbians have some sort of agenda that they are seeking to promote. It is one thing for a parent to decide that a book is inappropriate for their child. It is an entirely different matter when an outside group decides what our children can read and what they can't read; what is appropriate and what is not.

Censorship is not limited to books. It also filters into other areas such as the Internet. Software like CYBERsitter blocks, marketed by religious right organizations. Some of their filtering options include: advocating illegal/radical activities and gay/lesbian activities. Some of their banned sites include: Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and the Yahoo search for gay rights.

**Annie on My Mind-Nancy Garden ** #48 on the top 100 most frequently challenged books from 1990 to 2000.

The book has been challenged because of its depiction of the romantic relationship between two 17 year old girls and the normalization of a lesbian relationship.

In 2000, the //School Library Journal// included //Annie on My Mind// in its list of the top 100 most influential books of the century.

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 **And Tango Makes Three- ****Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell ** This book topped the list of the most frequently challenged books from 2006-2008.

The book tells the true story of two male penguins, Roy and Silo, who hatch and raise a female penguin named Tango.

And Tango Makes Three has been challenged for making homosexuality seem normal. For being anti-family and unsuited to age group.

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**GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens by Kelly Huegel ** This book has been challenged and removed from school libraries for promoting the “homosexual agenda” and for providing online resources to teens.

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**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Perks of Being a Wallflower-Stephen Chbosky ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">This book was challenged in 2004 and then fell in the top 10 of most frequently challenged books from 2006-2009 consecutively.

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**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Athletic Shorts and Ironman by Chris Crutcher ** ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Two of several books attacked in Vero Beach, Florida. Part-time librarian and graduate student Meagan Albright decided to focus on gay, lesbian, and transgendered themes as part of a University of South Florida course called Multicultural and Special Population Materials for Children and Young Adults. She created a display honoring GLBTQ books and authors. The display was presented at the West Gate Regional Library, and Albright, who is not gay, received an A from her professor. Subsequent protest from three visitors to the library prompted attacks on the books, as well as a town ordinance prohibiting county government from acknowledging or promoting gay pride and events. Crutcher, a child therapist who brings the gritty realities of his patients to the page, is an often-banned and -challenged author. ===


 * References:**

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Egendorf, L.K. (2001). //Censorship//. San Diego, Ca: Greenhaven Press, Inc.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Karolides, N.J., Bald, M, & Sova, D.B. (1999). //100 banned books//. New York, NY: Checkmark Books, Inc.