Why Do Some Brookfield Residents Want This Book Removed From the High School Library?

There's a controversy brewing in the town of Brookfield over the book, 'This Book is Gay' by Juno Dawson, available in the Brookfield High School library. According to Hearst Connecticut Media, some Brookfield residents say the book should be banned because of its "inappropriate" content and pulled from the BHS library.

This article has nothing to do with my opinion of the book but everything to do with presenting the views of Brookfield residents who are for and against banning this book in the high school library. Let's get started.

The following opinion appeared in the Brookfield Patch: "At the latest Board of Education (BoE) meeting, many outraged parents complained about the presence of sexually-explicit, pornographic books in the Brookfield school library. Regarding responsible oversight procedures, if school officials and librarians had performed even a cursory review, it would have revealed that the two books in question, "This Book Is Gay" and "Fun Home," contain sexually explicit, pornographic content and depictions that easily meet or exceed the statutory definition of obscenity."

The American Library Association includes "This Book Is Gay" as one of the top 10 most challenged books of 2021. According to the ALA, "This Book Is Gay" has been targeted for its sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content.

The book became the main topic of the April 5th Brookfield Board of Education meeting, where more than twelve residents voiced their opinions about the book, both pro and con. From the Hearst Connecticut Media article, an individual who will go unnamed stated, "This is about targeting LGBTQ books whether or not parents realize it, and that is an issue." However, she also said, "When this board, administration, and community's time is spent on the outrage that is manufactured and targeted, students pay the price — especially students whose needs don't fit neatly into a box," she said. "Public schools need to service all students equally."

Another gentleman who spoke at the meeting stated, "The push to hypersexualize children, as we are witnessing in real-time throughout society, is a dangerous path to take, and I see no moral standard or reason to move any further down this path than we already have." Others at the meeting described the book as "pornographic material."

Another individual who spoke at the Board Meeting stated, "Every student deserves access to books that reflect who they are, their experiences, their feelings. It's empowering, inspiring, and affirming to see characters going through what they are going through."

What do YOU think? Should it or should it not be banned from the high school library? The book in question is titled "This Book Is Gay" by Juno Dawson and is only available as an e-book to students through the Brookfield High School library. However, if you choose to understand the book better, you can read excerpts by clicking Amazon.com/lookinside.