Today in my blog surfing I came across the link to this news story in Paperback Writer's blog. I haven't even finished reading the whole news item, and I am already angry. As a bisexual woman, and a writer of gay fiction, I am rightfully so. No, I don't live in Alabama, so this would not effect me personally. However, if one state passes such a law, what would stop other states from doing so? Why ban books and authors just because of the lifestyle displayed in the story or by the author. It really shouldn't matter if you're straight, gay or bisexual. Everyone has their own way of living that makes them happiest. Everyone likes to read what they like to read. I happen to like writing and reading gay fiction. My favorite television shows happen to be the L word and Queer as Folk. Both shows openly discuss and display gay relationships. Are they going to try to ban these shows from airing in Alabama. I know that would be somewhat impossible to do with cable and satellite systems, but banning books and authors just because they live differently than you is nothing other than censorship pure and simple.
Honestly, what does this say about the world today? Gay characters are becoming more and more used in literature and television. Is this the result of that coming out so to speak? Because they are more prevalent does that make them a target. I know gay fiction is becoming more accepted. In past years, there wasn't much of it to be seen other than the yearly anthologies and a few authors that have paved the way for future writers such as myself. The bill would target any gay author or book containing gay characters. Such classics as The Color Purple and books by authors such as Tennessee Williams would be included in the bill. These stories are the foundations of literature, and they would be removed from bookshelves and banned. I remember reading these books in junior high and high school, and if such a bill had passed back in those days I'd have never read any of them. This angers me so much because as I said it is censorship no matter how you look at it.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Fred Bortz
The narrow-mindedness of religious fanatics comes in all kinds of flavors. This is just the latest skirmish in the battle to develop kids who can think for themselves.
I write science books for children (www.fredbortz.com), and I know that some libraries refuse to buy certain of my books because they speak of millions or billions of years of Earth history.
We're fighting the same war on very different fronts. Our goal is to open minds, while our opponents seek to "protect" those minds against our subversive ways.
I wonder which idea they consider more dangerous, the theory of evolution, or the premise that our evolution has produced a variety of sexual preferences.
2 - Charlie
I live in Alabama and just heard of this last night on Air America, which I can only listen to by streaming on the internet. I am ashamed of this. I have been an avid reader since I was 5 years old. I am now nearly 50 and cannot believe how sick this state and nation have become because of the fascist religious reich. I will fight this any way I can.
3 - Gina
Fred, very good question, and I wonder that too myself. I've heard of the same bans occuring in regards to books on evolution. As a former educator and children's writer, I definitely see the problems there as well. This is just amazing to me. There is room for all types of people, lifestyles, and books in the world.
Charlie, I heard about this today, and I hope you do fight this. This is outrageous to me.
4 - Dave Nalle
Out of curiosity, what is 'gay fiction'. Do you use the English language? Are the stories fictional? Why isn't it just fiction?
Clive Barker is gay, but his works aren't identified as 'gay fiction'. I'm currently reading a novel right now with several gay characters - is it 'gay fiction'?
Or is it that the gay element is all the fiction has to recommend it and it can't stand on its own as fiction unless it can find a specialized audience that wants to read fiction which is gay first and literature second?
And don't take this as homophobic - I'm just as skeptical of the idea of 'black fiction' or any other genre which identifies itself as something else first and fiction second.
Dave
5 - Gina
Gay fiction is fiction where two men are in a romantic relationship usually. Just like lesbian fiction would be where two women are in a romantic relationship. It could also be called gay romance.
It's just a way to separate it from the romance novels you see put out by Harlequin and Silhouette located on your grocery store shelves in which you have a man and woman meet and fall in love.
6 - HW Saxton
I am against censorship of any kind, no
matter what I think of the subject that
is being discussed or written about.
So many great books and authors would've
never been known if people had not been
fighting the good fight regarding issues
of censorship all these years.Burroughs,
Henry Miller,D.H Lawrence,etc.
It seems so simple to me, "If it offends
you,don't read it". But I guess that the
Religious Reich,er,right, sees things a
bit differently.It's so hard to believe
that this could even be an issue in the
year 2005.
I know that the above stated sentiments
are base & common but what else can you
say?
7 - Dave Nalle
There IS a difference between banning books and limiting what should be available to kids. At what point in a kid's education is it appropriate to talk about sexuality of ANY kind. Put aside the issue of sexual orientation, do you want your kids reading books at an early age which discuss sex or relationships in any depth or technical detail? That's the real issue here.
Dave
8 - Temple Stark
Aparently the real issue is an Alabama law that doesn't think all sexuality is the real issue, just the gay kind.
Thank you for the explanation of gay fiction Gina. That's pretty much what I thought it was, but always nice to be sure.
9 - Dave Nalle
So Temp, you think Tropic of Cancer is 6th grade reading in Alabama?
DAve
10 - Gina
You're welcome, Temple.
Basically what this law is trying to do from my perspective is ban books that are written by gay authors or contain gay characters in any way, shape or form. Not even discussing ones that contain relationships with those type of characters shown.
Yes, I agree there should be some control over what children read. A child in elementary school should not be reading sexual material, but this law is trying to ban any book that contains a gay character in it. It is going that far.
Shakespeare was even considered as a possibility for banning, but was left alone because his works are classics. What says these works aren't? Tennesee Williams? Alice Walker? These are modern classics. Where is the line drawn?
11 - Fred Bortz
Where is the line drawn? Apparently there are several lines:
(1) Wherever the book has ideas or discusses topics that the contradict the religious dogma of the bill's sponsors;
(2) Wherever the author has such ideas, regardless of whether they are part of the book.
On the issue of protecting kids, this seems to apply to all school libraries. High school kids need access to all kinds of information, especially about sexuality, and most high school librarians are perfectly capable of distinguishing between pornography and information. It's a little harder to identify when fiction crosses the line, although usually you can tell by the author's history and the publisher's record.
Let's not "protect" our kids from having open minds, and let's not "protect" adults whom we hire to serve kids from exercising their professional judgment.
12 - Dave Nalle
>>Yes, I agree there should be some control over what children read. A child in elementary school should not be reading sexual material, but this law is trying to ban any book that contains a gay character in it. It is going that far. <<
What is the defining difference between a gay character and a non-gay character? Sexual orientation. Therefore, to identify a character as being gay, the issue of that character's sexuality immediately comes to the forefront of the discussion, introducing sexual issues into the analysis of the work wether it's age-appropriate or not. Sexuality is not the defining characteristic of people in general, however, therefore where gay characters are not present there is no need to discuss or explain sexuality. Does this start to come clear at all?
I don't see how banning gay authors makes much sense though, unless their writing is specifically focused on gay sexuality in some way. No reason to ban Gore Vidal that I can possibly imagine.
Dave
13 - andy marsh
Stupid bills like this are written all the time, they rarely have the support required to make them into law though. I think that's why they have general assemblies and things of that nature. Here in VA they tried to pass a butt crack law, it didn't pass, but some dumb ass wrote it!
14 - Cass
It died automatically when not enough members of the legislature showed up to vote on it, according to the CBS evening news. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/26/eveningnews/main691106.shtml
(Read the editor's note at the end of the story for the update.)
15 - Steve S
to identify a character as being gay, the issue of that character's sexuality immediately comes to the forefront of the discussion,...Does this start to come clear at all?
Chances are, by the time the kid can actually read something that qualifies as a novel, the kid already knows what gay means. I'm not sure how many 5 year olds are currently reading Lynne Cheney's old novel.
therefore where gay characters are not present there is no need to discuss or explain sexuality.
how odd we (my family) must be to the rest of the world. Our daughter is not yet 3 and knows that she has two dads, and that some families have a mom and a dad, and no discussion of sexuality occurred. We talk about the fact that all kinds of families are built on love and leave it at that. Not surprisingly, that satisifies the childs curiousity and no further explaination is necessary. Perhaps it's the context in which we present it, being gay makes us aware that orientation is much more than sex.
I do understand that people want to shelter their children from becoming aware of homosexuality. I also understand that the people who put forth this bill 'to protect their children' probably have children who don't go to the library.
But flash forward 10-20 years from now, and let's assume that gay people have achieved true equality. You will remove books about anything gay from the library, but what will you do when you all are eating dinner and watching the news and the reporter tells you that an 'out' celebrity is divorcing his husband? What will you do when you open the newspaper and read about the achievements of a child and it mentions that the child has two dads? Hide your newspaper from your child every day? Know what I mean? What's going to happen when your child is in 1st grade and is sitting next to a child like mine? I'm certainly not going to tell her to shut up about her own family. Sorry folks, that diverse families make people so uncomfortable but it is what it is.
I think though, if my scenario ever does come to pass, you all won't have to worry about it, as it will be your kids having the discussion with your grandkids instead. Hopefully by then, most people will figure out that a relationship, like a house, has a foundation. Sexuality is only one brick in that foundation, it's not the whole thing. We (and you) also fall in love with someone's character, their sense of humor, their passion to a cause, their personality, etc. Orientation is just one brick in the foundation, that's all.
Do you really think you can give us full equality but keep us in the shadows still?
16 - Dave Nalle
Steve, have you SEEN Heather Has Two Mommies? It's targeted well below the 5 year old level.
>>What's going to happen when your child is in 1st grade and is sitting next to a child like mine?<<
Is there something different about your child because she's got gay parents?
Anyway, there are two kids with same-sex parents in my daughter's daycare class. It's never come up as an issue. Truthfully, I'd rather have her exposed to same-sex couples than divorced couples, trophy wives, serial adulterers and most of the rest of the human wreckage we see regularly among the parents of our older daughter's classmates.
>>Do you really think you can give us full equality but keep us in the shadows still?<<
I don't want to keep YOU in the shadows, I want to keep EVERYONE's private lives in the shadows.
Dave
17 - Steve S
First, that was a generic 'you' meant for all who feel like they should protect their children from gay families, but thank you for responding, Dave. Just wanted to point out it wasn't directed at you specifically, even though it was in a response to your comment.
Steve, have you SEEN Heather Has Two Mommies? It's targeted well below the 5 year old level.
Truthfully, I haven't seen that specific book, but don't you think that legislation was a bit much to just weed out poor old Heather?
While I haven't read that book, there are plenty of others I am familiar with that are probably along the same lines. Do people drop their 3 year olds off at the library with a library card and just turn them loose? Sometimes I don't understand how people raise their kids.
Is there something different about your child because she's got gay parents?
By my definition, no, by the definition of those who don't want to mention our families, yes.
I don't want to keep YOU in the shadows, I want to keep EVERYONE's private lives in the shadows.
sexuality is private, family is not. The problem is that people who believe in legislation like this cannot comprehend the enormous difference.
18 - HW Saxton
Dave N.,I wouldn't think that "Tropic Of
Cancer" would be Sixth grade reading any
where.
Those would have to be some hopelessly
hip,uber intelligent 12 year olds, LOL!
19 - Dave Nalle
You'd be surprised at what 12 year olds are reading, HW. My daughter is 13 now and hasn't read a book from the 'teen' section since she was 10 when she lost interest in what are basically either romance novels or comic books without pictures. I have to vet her books now to make sure that even though written for adults they aren't overly packed with 'adult' material.
Dave
20 - HW Saxton
That's true Dave.There is big difference
between what 12 year olds are reading
today and what they were reading some 30
years ago when I was that age. Luckily,I
had some hip English and Lit. teachers
in Jr.High that would notice if you were
reading above your level and/or reading
something interesting & would push you
on further in that direction.
21 - Emily Veinglory
Funny how a two man or two woman househgold discussed in any way is 'sexual' and a mommy and a daddy isn't. Or is someone assuming all 'gay fiction' is porn?
22 - Dave Nalle
Emily must not be married. Have you seen the stats on how much sex hetero couples have after their kids start getting born. Trust me, the maried 2 sex couples aren't terribly sexual.
Dave
23 - Steve S
just to inform those who think that because gay couples are less likely to have children than straight ones, that our relationships remain full of passion and sex, wrong. Our relationships go through changes like everyone else. Has nobody heard of Lesbian Bed Death? The life of a gay couple is actually not like a porn novel.
And within my community itself, the number of gay couples who are having children is quickly catching up on the number who don't.
24 - Dave Nalle
As far as I can tell almost no one's life is like a porn novel, except for this one guy I know who's a waiter in NYC. His life comes pretty close.
Dave
25 - Steve S
Did I write that? I gotta quit trying to do too many things at once.