By Finley Missella/Copy Editor

     Books are something that everyone can pick up, whether this has just words or pictures, it shouldn’t matter. Just like how it shouldn’t matter if a book contains content related to the LGTBQ+ Community.

     Many different books have been banned in schools because of the content being deemed “inappropriate” for students, while supporters argue these stories offer representation and understanding of identity.

     One of the most prominent books banned in the United States is “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maria Kobabae, which explores gender identity among Kobabae growing up.

     Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana was one of the reasons the book is now banned around the United States. On Sep. 12, 2023 Kennedy read excerpts from the novel during a Senate Hearing on book bans, which only included the graphic quotes from the book.

     To enhance his argument, Kenndey claimed that the content of the book is “not suitable for children.” Many people interpret this as an attack on the LQBTQ+ community, as the graphic content relates to the LGBTQ+ community.

     On the contrary, many books depicting straight couples with graphic themes have been left untouched.

     For example, “It Happened one Summer” by Teresa Bailey is known for its graphic scenes related to a sea captain and city-raised socialite. This book is still widely accepted among the world, even though the content is similar to Kobabes’ memoir.

     Junior Ziah Pittman states her uneasiness of books being banned just because it has graphic scenes.

     “I feel like if we are going to police graphic content, it needs to go for every book,” Pittman said. “I’ve seen swearing in books. I’ve seen sexual content in books. I’ve seen it exploring sexuality in teen books and fiction. Why is it different when it’s queer fiction rather than when it’s straight fiction is my question,” Pittman said.

     This is not the only LGBTQ+ book that has been banned throughout states and schools. 

     “And Mango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson has been challenged because of its portrayal of a same-sex penguin couple raising a chick. 

       Another book on the list is “Lawn Boy” by author Jonathan Evison, which is a coming of age novel and semi-autobiography about his life and his mission to self discovery.

     All these books and more have been banned because of their content. So the question is, should schools have the right to remove LGBTQ+ books for shelves, or does doing so silence voices and limit a student’s understanding of identity?

     Junior Brody Bartunek feels that banning books in schools should depend on the age of the individual and its content.

     When it comes to books like “Gender Queer: A Memoir” he feels it should not be as widely banned as it is.

     “We are in high school,” Bartunek said. “We can take things seriously, and if not, the student can be removed from the class.”

        Pittman shares she feels that the book ban limits the self discovery of people. By banning books a person’s ability to cultivate their identity is at risk.

     “It’s important for the [LGBTQ+ community] to have nonfiction and fiction books for representation,” Pittman said. “So they see themselves in the same way other people see themselves in pieces of media.”

     Pittman believes that ignorance is the biggest leading factor when it comes to schools and governments trying to ban books.

     “I think a lot of these books are getting banned because a lot of people fear what they do not know and do not understand,” Pittman said.

     Without the willingness to learn about other topics, there is no room for these ideas to flourish, thus preventing students and others from discovering themselves.

     It’s hard at times for people to open their eyes to a new idea, but once the person accomplishes this, then the result can be groundbreaking.

     “People cannot truly comprehend that there are other lifestyles outside of their own,” Pittman said. “When those lifestyles are portrayed in a positive light, or a light that they just haven’t seen yet, it causes emotions [to rise] because you don’t know what that’s like.”

     Books are an important part of life. They provide humans with useful knowledge about problems, identity and a multitude of other information that applies to everyday life.

     English teacher Shawn Stratton believes that reading is a gateway for students to learn about the world.

      “I think we should be reading as much as we can, about as much as we can,” Stratton said. “Even if some of it is objectionable to someone, we need to see and read it because books are all about truth in the human condition.”

      Reading does not only cultivate the mind, but it bestows people with knowledge about the world they would not think about otherwise.

      “We need to see what other people are thinking, what other people are feeling,” Stratton said. “So if what they’re putting out into the universe is not good for us, we can call it not good for us and be able to fight back against these ideas that no one should be sharing.”

     The ability for a person to choose the content they consume is something to be determined by the individual. If the person ends up not liking it themselves then that’s their opinion to have. Just because one person doesn’t agree with a topic does not mean no one will.

     Stratton shared a powerful quote from Aristotle that perfectly sums up the necessity of all types of literature:

     “It’s the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”