Bitter book battle brings up difficult discussion

Several parents have complained about the placement of a sex education book in the “Young Adult” section of the Wasilla library. These parents believe the book has no business in a part of the library frequented by children and want it either moved to the main stacks of the library or — at least according to those who have taken to social media — removed from the library entirely.

The book in question, “This Book is Gay,” is unique in that it is intended for adolescents who are interested in homosexuality. The book includes frank discussions of a number of topics, including quite specific information about gay sex.

The protest of the book’s placement has resulted in a review committee being set up by the library, and many people showed up at City Hall on Monday night to express their opinions.

Reading the book can be a jarring experience, especially for those who are uncomfortable with explicit discussions of sex, particularly gay sex. However, whether something makes us uncomfortable isn’t the standard by which we allow books into our libraries.

Parents who have spoken out against the book say it doesn’t belong in a place where children can access it. But that argument fails to take into account the fact that the library’s “adult” books aren’t off-limits to kids. Anyone precocious enough to want to browse the weightier tomes of the main stacks is welcome to do so, whether they’re 8 or 80.

The book is placed in a part of the library intended for young adults, which seems fairly appropriate considering it was explicitly written with an adolescent audience in mind.

What hasn’t been often brought up in this discussion is the fact that similar sex education books haven’t been singled out for such scrutiny. This raises the thorny question of whether these angry parents are objecting to the fact there’s a sex ed book in the young adult section, or whether they’re objecting to the fact there’s a gay sex ed book in the young adult section.

If the latter is true, then the librarian is in an impossible position. If she gives in to demands to move the book, she must also consider moving all books that discuss heterosexual sex in a similarly frank manner. Otherwise, the library could be seen as discriminating against homosexuals.

This is not a problem with an easy solution. If the librarian gives in to the parents’ demands, she runs the risk of opening an even bigger can of worms; if she doesn’t, she’s likely to face further harassment, complaints and criticism.

Banning this book from the library entirely would set a terrible precedent and send the wrong message. However, it is the public’s library, and it seems the public is speaking pretty loudly on the topic. Se we think moving the book to a different part of the library seems like a decent compromise at this time.

However, that step should cause Wasilla residents to deeply reflect on what it is about this particular book they find so unsettling. If it’s the frank nature of the sex talk, then honesty demands they must ask that all sex education books be moved. If it’s the gay sex talk that’s an issue, however, then we need to have a separate discussion about homophobia.

Some estimates say gay youth are as much as four times more likely to commit suicide. The more society tells them they’re bad or wrong for having feelings they cannot control, the more likely it is that this trend will continue. To single out a sex ed book because it deals with gay sex — while not protesting other, similar books for straight people — only adds to this societal persecution.

The fact is, simply having this book in the library isn’t going to turn anyone’s kid gay. However, sending the message to young people that their community feels homosexuality is inherently wrong just might cause families far more heartache and tragedy in the long run.