The right wing has nothing materially positive to run on, so they have manufactured a regressive, sadistic moral panic aimed at those who are among the most vulnerable in our current world — transgender and nonbinary youth. As part of this nationwide moral panic, right-wing activists in Maine are urging school boards to ban books and even posters that support LGBTQI+ youth, often in the guise of "protecting" children.

 

On October 20, the RSU 40 School Board (Union/Warren/Waldoboro/Washington/Friendship) will be voting on whether to ban a beautiful graphic memoir, Gender Queer from Medomak Valley High School's library. After I heard about this proposed censorship, I got Gender Queer and read it in one inhale because it was so gorgeous and compelling. The moral panicers claim these books are "pornographic," but absolutely nothing in Gender Queer is meant to turn people on--the definition of porn. The book gets a bit graphic at times, but it's not sexy. 

 

Also, guess what? If a young person wants to find porn — I mean, lots and lots and LOTS of porn — all it takes is typing one word into a search engine. Easy access to porn is a complicated issue, but one answer is to teach porn literacy, instead of these harmful bans on already-vetted material that function as the complete opposite of "protecting" kids.

 

A high schooler in the RSU 40 school district has started a petition against banning Gender Queer; it has nearly 600 signatures. Please sign it: https://www.change.org/p/keep-gender-queer-by-maia-kobabe-in-the-mvhs-library?redirect=false.

 

And, if you support LGBTQI+ youth, and oppose book banning, plan to attend the meeting at Medomak Middle School, 318 Manktown Road, Waldoboro on October 20 at 7 p.m.

 

The person who originally urged the school to ban the books doesn't even live in the district, so supporters of LGBTQI+ youth from outside the district should feel welcome. LGBTQI+ students will be in attendance, so I hope the ignorant/fearful adults will stop themselves from saying the hurtful things they sometimes say in these matters. Some of these "concerned citizens" are genuinely afraid and genuinely care about kids — I get it — but not only are they are on the wrong side of history, their ignorance, and sometimes flat-out bigotry, is causing serious, sometimes deadly, harm in some of the most vulnerable young people.

 

I urge those of us who support a world where everyone is free to be themselves (without hurting others) to speak up now. October 20 at 7 p.m., Waldoboro.