After a tumultuous end to another school year, summer has arrived and ushered in its annual June PRIDE month, donning rainbow flags, signs of inclusivity, and celebrations across Colorado.
In both the United States and in many countries around the world, June is synonymous with LGBTQ+ Pride and awareness. Despite this, parents at one local school have begun circulating a petition throughout the Greeley area, calling for the removal of multiple LGBTQ+ themed books within the University Schools’ library.
The petition, authored by The University Schools Parents & Guardians & Community Members, insists that the following books be banned: The Hate U Give, The Bluest Eyes, Lawn Boy, Gender Queer, and All Boys Aren’t Blue. They claim that said books are, “pornographic, (and) creates further vulnerability for LGBTQ students and are not appropriate educational material for any level in a K-12 school.”
As both an alumna of University High School and an educator, I was compelled to research the petition, its claims, and the books themselves.
What I found was disturbing. Every book in question contained stories of people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, or marginalized members of society.
Each was written with themes and lexicon fit for middle or high school students. Most have received national awards and notable recognition from the American Library Association.
Following hours of investigation, one question remained: What was the real reason these books were being banned?
Seeing further understanding on the matter, I reached out directly to those whom this decision would affect most: members of the LGBTQ+ community, and specifically, graduates from University Schools.
Literature representing LGBTQ+ culture is “crucial in schools,” says 2008 University Alumna, Georgia Tournai: “Growing up as a queer kid and having access to books and resources outside of the home, both in libraries and school, was vital to my mental health. Having the support of resources provided by my school and various teachers literally kept me alive. Schools, especially, have a responsibility to be an inclusive and safe space for all its students.”
Another 2008 Alumnus, Danny Bristoll, said, “I am particularly upset that the push to remove these books is being touted as a means to prevent, ‘further vulnerability for LGBTQ students.’ Literature that depicts our experiences as LGBTQ+ individuals and that recognizes the value of exploring our own identities, visceral and fumbling as they so often are, is critical in a world that offers such little guidance to us otherwise. Sometimes these stories are dark or painful to read, but offer an invaluable window through which to view the realities of being queer in our world.
“By removing such literature, University Schools is sending a clear message to its most vulnerable members that it does not believe in the value of telling their stories in a fair and unbiased manner.”
So, I must ask: what is the real reason for banning these books? Is literature that represents a larger array of identities and experiences such a terrible thing, even if we ourselves do not understand it?
If we ban a book solely on our own perception of its worth, we set a dangerous precedent for censoring some of the world’s most influential and thought-provoking literature. In doing so, we threaten education itself, by diminishing opportunities for inclusive discussions, dynamic identity growth, and equitable opportunities for students of every kind by robbing them of the stories in which they might see themselves.
If you agree that banning these books is detrimental to students, let your voice be heard by reaching out to University Schools at (970) 506-7000.
— Kaitlyn Dinner is a graduate of University Schools and an educator in Colorado
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