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Monday, 13 October 2008

Gay Penguins: The most objectionable book in America

8/05/2008 11:14:00 AM.  | Anil Lambert-Patel
The tale of a pair of gay penguins who adopt a chick has once again topped the ‘objectionable’ list in US libraries.

‘And Tango Makes Three’ is a children’s picture book published in 2005 about a family of penguins – with two fathers.

It is the most ‘challenged’ book in public schools and libraries for the second year in a row, according to the American Libraries Association.

The ALA defines a "challenge" as a "formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness."

"The complaints are that young children will believe that homosexuality is a lifestyle that is acceptable. The people complaining, of course, don't agree with that," Judith Krug, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, told AP.

Other books hitting the Top Ten complained about include Maya Angelou's memoir ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,’ in which Angelou writes of being raped as a child; Mark Twain's ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,’ long attacked for racism; and Philip Pullman's ‘The Golden Compass,’ which is widely perceived to be pro-atheism.

COMMENTS

Thursday, 08 May 2008

I think that publishers are cutting their own throats with such publications. Every child that they turn off reading is one more crippled adult. Such social promotions are rarely worthy as literary achievements.

Posted by: Indie Fatigue ah Ball, Carramar/Sydney

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

So Mein Kampf is OK? And the world wonders how Dumbya got "elected"...

Posted by: Art Green, Santa Cruz

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

Children are turned off reading? Because of a picture book??? Wow, you seem to think homophobia is not a socially created hate. Children don't inherently harbor hatred...People want to ban the book, because it promotes an agenda that is socially unaccepted.

Posted by: Ryan c, hhi

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

People have a right to object to just about anything they like in our country, and most assuredly they will. However, what is perceived as being okay to be offended by, in any culture, is determined by the overarching social norms. A pro-athiesm book is vastly outnumbered in American libraries by religiously affiliated works, but it's offensive of course, because athiests are the last minority that it is okay for everyone to hate.

Posted by: Vernon Blank, Atlanta GA

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

I think the people turned off by things of this nature are already cripped. This is not a fictional story created to "promote" an agenda, but about actual penquins. Of course, anything that goes against their prejudces are "objectionable" even if something like homosexuality is something that occurs quite "naturally" in nature. But it makes the argument that homosexuality is a "choice" that much harder to attack if animals are doing it, as any good farmer or zookeeper knows.

Posted by: John Tan, Hayward, CA

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

Rather, people who ban or hide books from children are the ones who are intellectually hobbling these children. Children need to be exposed to all sorts of learning. When people stop reading things they disagree with initially, the whole world suffers under the ignorance that will surely follow. Please stop tainting little children with bigotry. Remove the chains and shackles from your minds, and from the minds of little people.

Posted by: Austin Gordon, Wheaton

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

What child is being turned off reading by books like these? You mean books that promote family, kindness, peace and tolerance...and the animal kingdom? Children are taught to hate. " Every child raised by homophobes and racists is one more crippled adult."

Posted by: H Hogan, NY

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

How is it unreasonable to object when your tax dollars go towards social engineering of children? You guys may find this hard to believe, but libraries in America receive very, very little funding. When they spend funds to buy books like this, it is at the expense of books that don't have a political agenda. People who try to ram politics down the throats of children are despicable.

Posted by: Melissa Farrell, New York

Friday, 09 May 2008

Uhh, gay people have kids, pay taxes and are kids. The "homosexual lifestyle" is an acceptable lifestyle. Descrimination on the basis of religious values is unconstitutional and has NO place in the public sector. If so, I object to pro-christian books being available, their values are not the same as mine.

Posted by: Jeffrey Gold, Oakland

Friday, 09 May 2008

If every elementary school in the world purchased this book with tax payer money it would still make most of the crap that gets through look like golden toilet seats and diamond dentures. We pay how much for a war that was supposed to make our economy better and indeed pay for itself, we're spending how much now to get off foriegn oil? There's a bridge to no where in Alaska I'd like you to visit/jump off now.

Posted by: Spark Jack, San Antonio

Saturday, 10 May 2008

Homosexuality isn't a "political agenda," it's a state of being. It's just like objecting to books that feature characters of another race -- bigotry, pure and simple.

Posted by: Rachael MacVean, Albany, NY

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

Bigotry alive and well.

Posted by: Al P, PA

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

ALA has a strangle hold on truth vs. fiction, and they alone will determine what is or is not desirable for students, based on complaints. The agenda i s to deny science and promote religion, and obliterate the separation of church and state. Deny Civil Rights, Deny Medical facts re: homosexuality, Deny the facts of life....with end result that the kids grow up deficient and "dumbed down" by these religious radical right evangelical zealots. They must be exposed and stopped.

Posted by: dr. bob brogna, merritt is fl.

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

What an utter waste of time. The world is about to self destruct and here comes the religious freak show with their book burning brigade. Thirty years ago they protested interracial marriage. this too shall pass. It's just sad that mankind seems to love to wallow in his own ignorance. This is why the youth of today laughs at the idiocy of the old. get a clue you old fools . . . NO ONE but you cares about this.

Posted by: Bryant Webb, Los Angeles

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

Once again, the minority "civil libertarian squealers" try to influence the silent "normal" majority. A very sad reflection on our deteriorating society.

Posted by: Geoff Bolton, Lane Cove

Friday, 09 May 2008

I agree-It is unfortunatly the minority of haters that scream the loudest. There will always be people that oppose new acceptances till the end of time. Personally, i believe my children would love this book. Aknowledge that there is two 'Daddies' and then think nothing of it.They would interpret the story with curiosity and not prejudice as was the case with all chrildren untill someone tells them different.

Posted by: petah larke, canberra

 

Friday, 09 May 2008

..here's an idea for a movie.. "The Return Of The Poofter Penguins!"

Posted by: Gary Benson, Blacktown

 

Saturday, 10 May 2008

What a fantastic book - i have just been on Dstore and apprently we can get it over here but its shipped from the US - I am buying it for my kids. How cute, and the fact thats its a true story is great. Any opportunity that i can get to teach my children about our amazingly diverse world is always seized on. To the homophobes - THANKYOU....without your controversy I would never have known about this great book!

Posted by: Concerned Liberal, Minto

 

Wednesday, 14 May 2008

Having grown up in a very religious family, this book could have been greatly comforting to me if I had come across it in a library. It's not a choice. Trust me.

Posted by: Jacob W., Seoul

 
 

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