DeSantis Debunks Book Ban Hoax

[Ana the Ist]

Here we go...

Governor Ron DeSantis Debunks Book Ban Hoax

www.flgov.com

Now for some time many people have openly defended the authors, teachers, curriculums, and administrators who have been wailing about Florida’s book ban....as well as the bans in many other states.

DeSantis has decided to hold a conference where he outright shows everyone what is in these books so they can see why they are banned.

The link above will take you to his page and a synopsis of that conference without any explicitly graphic material.

The links on the page however, will show you the conference and the explicit material. Don't say I didn't warn you.

If anyone still feels like they can defend children being exposed to blatant pornographic material....I'd like to hear why.

For the rest of you, take a big bite of humble pie. You were lied to....you were being lied to....all you had to do was a minimal amount of effort and take a look for yourself.

Enjoy. As far as I know, video content from this conference has been banned on Twitter and YouTube for being too sexually graphic.

 

[disciple Clint]

Here we go...

Governor Ron DeSantis Debunks Book Ban Hoax

www.flgov.com

Now for some time many people have openly defended the authors, teachers, curriculums, and administrators who have been wailing about Florida’s book ban....as well as the bans in many other states.

DeSantis has decided to hold a conference where he outright shows everyone what is in these books so they can see why they are banned.

The link above will take you to his page and a synopsis of that conference without any explicitly graphic material.

The links on the page however, will show you the conference and the explicit material. Don't say I didn't warn you.

If anyone still feels like they can defend children being exposed to blatant inappropriate contentographic material....I'd like to hear why.

For the rest of you, take a big bite of humble pie. You were lied to....you were being lied to....all you had to do was a minimal amount of effort and take a look for yourself.

Enjoy. As far as I know, video content from this conference has been banned on Twitter and YouTube for being too sexually graphic.

Good for him.

 

[seeking.IAM]

If your government tells you what books you can read, you are not as free as you thought you were.

 

[HTacianas]

If your government tells you what books you can read, you are not as free as you thought you were.

No one's government is telling them what books they can read.

 

[PloverWing]

Thanks, Florida, for the reading list! I get some of my best book recommendations from banned books lists. I read Gender Queer about a year ago, because it showed up on a banned list. (A few decades back, I read Slaughterhouse-Five, because it also was on a banned list.) Fortunately, my local public library has the books that are listed in the article, so I'll go and pick up a couple of the ones I haven't read yet.

People don't tend to ban books if the books have nothing substantial to say. I like reading books that have substance and that challenge me, so banned book lists make great reading lists.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Thanks, Florida, for the reading list! I get some of my best book recommendations from banned books lists. I read Gender Queer about a year ago, because it showed up on a banned list.

Gender Queer is more pictures than reading....something anyone would know if they watched the video or checked the links to the explicit content.

What about the plot appealed to you personally?

People don't tend to ban books if the books have nothing substantial to say. I like reading books that have substance and that challenge me, so banned book lists make great reading lists.

What was the challenging part of Gender Queer? Was it the graphic depictions of gay sex acts between children?

 

[LesSme]

I believe the sad souls that produce this filth enjoy debauching young minds.

After all we know they are miserable in their sin and in their sorry state they naturally wish others to
be similarly unhappy and despairing.

Kids are easy pickings.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

I thought that the Republican mantra was that parents should be in control of what their children have access to?

A number of books that make up the classic banned books lists were required reading for me in high school in the mid 1980s, Grapes of Wrath, Lord of the Flies, Catch-22, To Kill a Mockingbird, Shakespeare's plays, Animal Farm, Brave New World, Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, Huckleberry Finn. Hrmmm... makes me wonder if my English teachers just went to the banned book list to come up with the required reading list

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

Actually I'm really confused. Republicans want to ban books because they consider them explicit, but are willing to let parents marry off their teenage children?

 

[PloverWing]

Gender Queer is more pictures than reading....something anyone would know if they watched the video or checked the links to the explicit content.

What about the plot appealed to you personally?

What was the challenging part of Gender Queer? Was it the graphic depictions of gay sex acts between children?

Gender Queer is memoir, the author's autobiography with particular attention to Kobabe's process of discerning gender and sexuality. Kobabe is nonbinary (as you might guess from the title) and asexual, but figuring this out took some time and conversations and life experiences, and that's the story that's told in the book. As such, the appeal of the book is not the plot, exactly, but rather the look that we get of Kobabe's thoughts and feelings during this time of growth and exploration.

I returned the book to the library some months ago, so I don't have it in front of me for reference, but I don't remember any "graphic depictions of gay sex acts between children". There is a sexual relationship in the book, but the two partners are young adults, not children. There is one image on one page that I've seen blurred out when it was shown in a mainstream newspaper article. Beyond that, there's talk about sex, but I don't remember detailed images of sex.

For me, I think the most challenging part of the book was the extended conversations the main character has with two female relatives about gender identity. How does the experience of being nonbinary relate to the experience of being a cis woman who is not traditionally feminine? And how does it relate to the experience of women with internalized misogyny? The book, through these conversations, explores this territory without giving easy answers. I think these are important conversations to have within the gender-diverse community -- "here's my experience, how is that like your experience?" -- not in shouted headlines, but in small, quiet spaces where people trust each other.

For me personally, the most appealing part of the book was its portrayal of consent in the main sexual relationship in the book. [Note: The following quotes are paraphrased, as I do not have the book at hand.] There's a conversation in which one partner says "I like X and Y, but I absolutely don't want to do A or B or C, and I'll understand if any of that is a deal-breaker for you", and the other partner says that it's fine, without trying to pressure the first person into doing A or B or C. Later, the partners try something new in bed, and one partner says "I'm not enjoying this as much as I thought", and the other partner says "Okay, we'll stop and do something else". I thought this portrayal of consent and caring was amazing and wonderful, and I wish I could put it into the hands of every teenager and every about-to-be-married couple.

How much sexual content is appropriate at what age for each individual person is a complicated question. I wouldn't give this book to a 5-year-old. But maybe a 16-year-old. This book is not porn; it's a different kind of story.

 

[PloverWing]

In my last sentence in the previous post, I used a word that starts with "p" that means pictures of unclothed people. CF software has replaced that word with "inappropriate content". The sentence makes more sense if you stick to my original wording.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Gender Queer is memoir, the author's autobiography with particular attention to Kobabe's process of discerning gender and sexuality. Kobabe is nonbinary (as you might guess from the title) and asexual, but figuring this out took some time and conversations and life experiences, and that's the story that's told in the book. As such, the appeal of the book is not the plot, exactly, but rather the look that we get of Kobabe's thoughts and feelings during this time of growth and exploration.

I returned the book to the library some months ago, so I don't have it in front of me for reference, but I don't remember any "graphic depictions of gay sex acts between children". There is a sexual relationship in the book, but the two partners are young adults, not children. There is one image on one page that I've seen blurred out when it was shown in a mainstream newspaper article. Beyond that, there's talk about sex, but I don't remember detailed images of sex.

Oh well, wonderful....see, this is exactly why I gave you a reference that included images of the book itself.

Just go ahead and click in the link in the OP. Under the caption you can see two more links, the first is for a video presentation. Images from the book Gender Queer start at 2:20 into the presentation.

You should be able to immediately notice 2 things.

1. Graphic depictions of gay sex.
2. The layout of the pages is about 80% crudely drawn cartoons, and 20% text.

Now, ignoring the rest of your rather pathetic defense of this smut....I'll point out the rather obvious reasons why parents have a problem with it

1. It's p0rnograph1c.
2. Nothing about it would lead any child to believe this is for 16yo young adults.


I would have been more than capable of reading this book at 8 years old. In fact, if I were to open this book at 8-10 years old....I would imagine it was written for me and my age group in mind...given the fact that each page includes more pictures than words. Literally nothing about it says to any casual reader "this us intended for an older audience".

The only thing I find "challenging" is your defense of this homoerotic garbage and the idea that any parent would be OK with this being available in their child's classroom or library. My tax dollars shouldn't fund this smut and frankly, I'm glad to live in a state and that bans it from the schools it has been placed in. The teachers and administrators who promoted this filth should be ashamed.

 

[Say it aint so]

Rosa Parks pre-DeSantis

Rosa Parks post-DeSantis:

 

[PloverWing]

Oh well, wonderful....see, this is exactly why I gave you a reference that included images of the book itself.

I've read the book itself.

Literally nothing about it says to any casual reader "this us intended for an older audience".

Gender Queer and Flamer are graphic novels. It's a category of book that's been newly created since I was a kid, and books in this category are intended for teen or adult readers rather than young kids. I agree that the library's indexing and shelving system should make it clear that The Cat in the Hat and Gender Queer are two different kinds of books, intended for different audiences. In my local public libraries, Gender Queer and Flamer are shelved with adult or young adult books, not children's books.

 

[Ana the Ist]

I've read the book itself.

Well you clearly forgot the gay sex scenes. I didn't want you or anyone else imagining I was lying about that.

Gender Queer and Flamer are graphic novels.

Fancy word for comic book.

It's a category of book that's been newly created since I was a kid, and books in this category are intended for teen or adult readers rather than young kids.

I don't know if it makes any substantial difference if they aren't actually preventing children from accessing them in the library or checking them out.

I agree that the library's indexing and shelving system should make it clear that The Cat in the Hat and Gender Queer are two different kinds of books, intended for different audiences. In my local public libraries, Gender Queer and Flamer are shelved with adult or young adult books, not children's books.

Right, and perhaps your library is the only one in the nation that has security guards checking what children are reading to ensure it's age appropriate and not allowing underage children to check out certain books

 

[Ana the Ist]

I thought that the Republican mantra was that parents should be in control of what their children have access to?

A number of books that make up the classic banned books lists were required reading for me in high school in the mid 1980s, Grapes of Wrath, Lord of the Flies, Catch-22, To Kill a Mockingbird, Shakespeare's plays, Animal Farm, Brave New World, Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, Huckleberry Finn. Hrmmm... makes me wonder if my English teachers just went to the banned book list to come up with the required reading list

Is Lord of the Flies banned?

I saw it on the list awaiting approval but I didn't know if it passed or not.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

Oh well, wonderful....see, this is exactly why I gave you a reference that included images of the book itself.

Just go ahead and click in the link in the OP. Under the caption you can see two more links, the first is for a video presentation. Images from the book Gender Queer start at 2:20 into the presentation.

You should be able to immediately notice 2 things.

1. Graphic depictions of gay sex.
2. The layout of the pages is about 80% crudely drawn cartoons, and 20% text.

So

Is Lord of the Flies banned?

I saw it on the list awaiting approval but I didn't know if it passed or not.

In April 2019, a group called The Florida Citizens Alliance pushed for legislation in Florida to ban approximately 90 books including Lord of The Flies, but were rebuffed by lawmakers who upheld the first amendment. According to the American Library Association, Lord of the Flies is the eighth-most frequently banned and challenged book in the nation.

Banned Books Webquest – Lord of the Flies | Ms. McMane's Classes

 

[Belk]

I believe the sad souls that produce this filth enjoy debauching young minds.

I don't care what you believe. Only what you can demonstrate.

After all we know they are miserable in their sin and in their sorry state they naturally wish others to
be similarly unhappy and despairing.

Kids are easy pickings.

"We" know nothing of the sort. That is your own musings and says more about you then others.

 

[PloverWing]

I've now checked out two of the other books on Florida's banned list from my local public library: This Book Is Gay, and Flamer. (I don't plan to check out Let's Talk About It, as that one sounds less interesting.)

This Book Is Gay is a sex education book, written for gay people, whose sexuality is often overlooked in sex education classes. It's something like The Joy of Sex, but for a different audience.

Flamer is a graphic novel, fiction but drawing heavily from the author's experiences growing up. I just finished reading it this afternoon. I expected it to be a teen romance, except gay, but it turned out to be different from what I expected. The main character is part Asian and has some not-traditionally-masculine interests and mannerisms, and he is bullied mercilessly because of both of these factors. He is also realizing that he is gay. And, he is a Catholic Christian. How he deals with this swirl of inner and outer torment is the main story of the book. The author uses the metaphor of flames in multiple ways through the book, a nice bit of storytelling. I won't give more detail, for fear of plot spoilers, but I think this is a excellent and important book. (The reader does have to be prepared to listen to a bunch of boys making jokes about body parts.)

I don't know what should be in school libraries. As a teen, I would never have had the nerve to walk up to the school librarian and say "I would like to check out this book on sex, please." So maybe the public library is a safer resource for teens anyway.

I do think that teenagers should have access to good sex education information (not just trash on the Internet). I also think that teenagers should be able to read about people like them who have loving, healthy romantic relationships, or who have survived bullying, or who have gone through a process of self-discovery. Maybe it doesn't have to be in school, but it should be somewhere -- public library, Amazon, somewhere.

 

[keith99]

So

In April 2019, a group called The Florida Citizens Alliance pushed for legislation in Florida to ban approximately 90 books including Lord of The Flies, but were rebuffed by lawmakers who upheld the first amendment. According to the American Library Association, Lord of the Flies is the eighth-most frequently banned and challenged book in the nation.

Banned Books Webquest – Lord of the Flies | Ms. McMane's Classes

I would get my kid transferred out of Ms. McMane's class. Lord of the flies is not number 8 on any ALA list I could find. And I found listings of the top 10 by year for 2000-2021, a separate top 10 for 2022 and listings of the top 100 for 1990-99, 2000-2009 and 2010-2019.

The only listing for Lord of the Flies was number 68 for 1990-1999.

Just in case someone gets confused, OIC is a part of ALA. Also at the bottom of the first link is says they have only been collecting statistics since 1990.

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024

Every year, the American Library Association compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books based on reports from the field and media coverage.

www.ala.org

How many have you read from the 2022 banned books list?

How many of these banned books have you read?

www.southbendtribune.com

Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 1990-1999

ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) receives reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. We compile lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools. This list...

www.ala.org

Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2000-2009

ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) receives reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. We compile lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools. This list...

www.ala.org

Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2010-2019

ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) receives reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. We compile lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools. This list...

www.ala.org