SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Tuesday, September 12, the Carver Library Board voted unanimously to decline a request to remove the graphic novel "Gender Queer: A Memoir" from library shelves. "Gender Queer," written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe, is a memoir that describes Kobabe's childhood in California, their journey of self-discovery, and coming out to family and friends. In July, a woman from Waconia raised concerns about the book.
From July 2021 to Dec. 2022, the book was banned in 56 school districts across the nation, the most of any book. "Gender Queer" has become the most challenged book in the United States, according to the American Library Association.
The Minnesota House Queer Caucus released the following statement:
“We applaud the Carver County Library Board of Advisors on their decision to decline to remove “Gender Queer” from their shelves. The decision by the Carver Library Board is a victory for free speech and intellectual freedom. It is important to create a space where all young people feel safe and accepted for who they are and who they are becoming.
This coming-of-age book is being targeted and demonized because it provides a realistic and honest portrayal of what it is like to be genderqueer, and it can help young people who are struggling with their own gender identity. We cannot allow the anti-trans and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ threat to terrorize our state. It is imminent and we must be vigilant against the bigotry and violence that is being projected upon the most vulnerable in our community.”
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