Rampant stupidity

[daemonluna]

OK Lawmakers Vote to Restrict Access to Homosexual-Themed Children’s Books

House Resolution 1039, by State Rep. Sally Kern, calls on Oklahoma libraries to "confine homosexually themed books and other age-inappropriate material to areas exclusively for adult access and distribution."

"There are some issues little children aren’t emotionally equipped to tackle and many parents believe the issue of sexual preference is one of them," said Kern, R-Oklahoma City. "Expecting six-year-olds to deal with the issue of sexuality is about as realistic as expecting them to carry a 100-pound backpack to school every day. Parents have a right to know that certain books deal with age-sensitive issues and decide for themselves if their child is ready to read those materials."

First off, most children's books (by which I mean CHILDREN'S books, mostly picture books, not YA fare) are about so-and-so has two mommies or two daddies. This is not dealing with issues of sexuality, but of family, relationships, love, and affection. Part of the goddamn kindergarten curriculumn is talking about different kinds of families.

Secondly, the book in question, King and King, is only about sexuality if the parent wants to make it about sexuality. Do you want to tally how many pictures books there are that mention heterosexual love, marriage, and relationships, hmm? As well there should be; a collection of children's literature should not only include quality materials, but represent the full range of human emotion and experience relevant to the target audience. And while that does not necessarily mean explaining sexual desire to your four year old, other than answering the "how did the baby get into Mommie's tummy?" question, I certainly hope that it does mean acknowledging love in all its forms.

(On a completely unrelated, much less irritating tangent, there is a sequel now, I see, King & King & Family, though I have not read it yet.)

Also, sexual preference? Really, now.

However, I do love how in the LIS news post, the phrase "restrict children's access" is linked to a google search on the definition of censorship.

Comments

[nekosei.livejournal.com]

But don't you know? It's not that people are homosexual, it's that society is making people think they are! Look at anime! Look at her! She's hot! Oh my god it's a guy! Well, I must love guys then. Oh look, I'm apparently homosexual. Who would have thunk it...

/sarcasm

Yeah, since when has anyone in any kind of "power" actually known what is really going on in the world outside of their own ass... Yeesh.

[daemonluna.livejournal.com]

Aha! I knew it--it was Michael kissing you on the forehead at Animethon a few years ago while crossplaying! "He's a guy... but he looks like a girl... mmm, pretty breasts--oh no, I must be gay!" *snerk*

[meadowlion.livejournal.com]

If "other age-inappropriate material" includes any truly sexually themed books, then it's at least mildly less irritating; if one is going to discriminate, one ought to do it across the board!

Bah.

[daemonluna.livejournal.com]

Anything that's sexually themed in the kids' section is sex education non-fiction, I can almost guarantee it. And it's going to be shelved, by subject, in said non-fiction, even if it's an "issues" picture book (ie, Heather Has Two Mommies).