Black queer memoir targeted for criminal complaint by school board member

Inspired by widespread opposition to LGBTQ books like Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe in public school libraries, a Black queer book is now being targeted by a Florida school board member.

Flager County School Board member Jill Woolbright is seeking criminal prosecution for the person or persons responsible for allowing All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir Manifesto by George M. Johnson.

In response, four copies of the book were removed from two high school libraries. A fifth copy meant for a middle school was yet to be placed in circulation.

However, LGBTQ students and a contingent of allies have protested against book banning of LGBTQ-affirming books.

Flager County Sheriff Rick Staly's office says that it is still considering as to whether a crime has taken place but it will vigourously "ensure the rights of everyone under the Constitution, specifically the First Amendment, are protected."

For weeks, GoPride.com has been reporting on a fast-spreading movement to rid public school libraries of another popular book for teens, Gender Queer: A Memoir.

This week, Downers Grove, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, saw protest from parents against the memoir.

The American Library Association has come to the defense of these books as important for LGBTQ health and inclusion, and against any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in library collections.