Sangamon Sun

Springfield Public Schools District 186 recently took to social media to recommend the controversial novel Gender Queer to schoolchildren. 

“Hello. Hello. It's Miss Corcoran and Abe yet again, hanging out in the library, talking about the Teen Readers' Choice Award books,” a D186 librarian says in a video. “Next up, we are talking about this graphic novel memoir by Maia Kobabe called Gender Queer. One of the things I loved about this book is that it's a great window and mirror book, meaning people who are questioning their sexual identity and their gender identity are going to view this book as a mirror, a reflective experience of their own. 

Corcoran encouraged checking out a copy at the library despite noting that "it's actually the top banned and challenged book of 2021, according to the American Library Association."

"And this book is also a great window for people who want to understand that perspective," she said. "It's a wonderful story about someone who's finding out who they are and embracing it. And I love that there are resources and it's super educational. There's nothing I did not like about this book."

The video to the notice of Libs of TikTok, a Twitter account dedicated to outing outrageous leftist behavior. “Librarian at @schooldist186 promotes the book “Gender Queer” to students on TikTok. This book is in a few schools in the district and contains sexually explicit and pornographic content,” the tweet reads.

Gender Queer has drawn criticism for its vivid depictions of sexual scenes, which include illustrated illustrations of explicit sex acts. Parents around the nation have attacked Kobabe's work as being overly sexual and unsuitable for youngsters. Local school boards became incensed about the novel's inclusion in libraries across the state starting last year, Dupage Policy Journal reported.

Gender Queer was taken out of libraries earlier this year by the Machesney Park-based Harlem School District 122 Board of Education. Because of its detailed portrayal of sex scenes, the book has received a lot of media attention too and has caused debates among parents. The book was called porn by Lynette Hofman who has told WIFR that it's about "incest, molestation, and pedophilia," Rockford Sun reported. She advocates for the banning of the controversial book.