Banning gay penguins?

[Dr Dog]

This is a ridiculous story.

Firstly, it is a true story.

Secondly, do any kids that actually read anymore, would they be weak minded enough to fall into "the trap" the book is setting

This type of bullshit from parents and religious groups, scares me. And these are the people we vote in, to run our lives...

I find it funny that, just by a simple inet search, you could find so many things, far far worse, and scarring to a child, and they are worried about a book, about 2 male penguins hatching an egg

Jebus, I have seen a whole movie about that, and I think it won awards

Gay penguins book is most banned


Authors, artists and musicians are due to gather at a library in San Francisco to protest against the banning of books in schools and libraries in the US.

The event, part of the 27th annual Banned Books Week, has been organised by the American Library Association.

Since 2001 bans on 3,736 books and other materials have been requested.

In recent years, And Tango Makes Three - based on a true story and centring on gay penguins in New York's Central Park Zoo - has had the most ban requests.

The book's authors are Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell.

In a statement to the BBC on Friday, Mr Richardson said: "It's regrettable that some parents believe reading a true story about two male penguins hatching an egg will damage their children's moral development.

"They are entitled to express their beliefs, but not to inflict them on others."

Reasons given by organisations and individuals for their requests to get it removed from public shelves, include "anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group".

Other works featuring in the most-challenged books list for 2008 include Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials and Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner.

Parents' concern

Pullman told Britain's Guardian newspaper that he was glad to be on the list.

However he added: "Of course it's a worry when anybody takes it upon themselves to dictate what people should or should not read."

The association said the aim of the annual awareness week, which ends on Saturday, is to remind US citizens not to take their freedom for granted.

And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper

Among those at the San Francisco Public Library event will be authors and musicians Ben Fong-Torres, Richie Unterberger and Roy Zimmerman.

They plan to stage a number of performances and defend controversial books.

In 2008 the American Library Association recorded 517 ban and restriction requests. Seventy-four were successful.

The organisation recorded that the most common reason given was that contents were too "sexually explicit".

Other classic literature subjected to complaints include JD Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling also feature on the list.

Earlier this week, it was claimed that Harry Potter author JK Rowling missed out on the Presidential Medal of Freedom because some US politicians believed she "encouraged witchcraft".

 

[Joe Hawkins]

You've probably come to the wrong place to discuss censorship as this forum is one of the most heavily censored Ive come across.

This post will no doubt soon be censored

 

[cellardweller]

why does it always have to be the penguins?

 

[JohnnyATL]

first gay fish, then gay penguins. whats next??? gay hippos?

 

[Dr Dog]

You've probably come to the wrong place to discuss censorship as this forum is one of the most heavily censored Ive come across.

This post will no doubt soon be censored

well, if people come in and discuss censorship it probably will, but that is not the point of the post

 

[hippie_lettuce]

Geez, if Blagojevich can write his autobiography and not get banned, gay penguins should have a presence on our bookshelves, too!

 

[JJScorpio]

You've probably come to the wrong place to discuss censorship as this forum is one of the most heavily censored Ive come across.

This post will no doubt soon be censored

Yet you're still here. I have to ask myself why?

 

[Bulldog11]

Next they will band water. You know fish F_ck in water, there could be some gay F_cking going on in that water. Better sensor it quick.

This is a completely heterosexual comment, but I just don't get why people hate on gay people. I have gay friends, one is a complete flamer that gets on my nerves sometimes. Even though he gets on my nerves, I wouldn't change him for the world. Be who you are people, screw all the haters!.

 

[MarquisBlack]

Well, this is San Francisco we're talking about here...

I for one wouldn't want my kid reading that shit. Not for the sake of his morals, either. It's just.. Dumb? Yea. Dumb.

The Catcher and the Rye... Now that was a good book.

 

[ddrew]

Like a kids going to read the book and turn to his parents.
"Mommy, I want to be a gay penguin when I grow up"

 

[ddrew]

Well, this is San Francisco we're talking about here...

I for one wouldn't want my kid reading that shit. Not for the sake of his morals, either. It's just.. Dumb? Yea. Dumb.

The Catcher and the Rye... Now that was a good book.

And I'm a little bit with Marquis on this one.
Should it be banned? No.
But is it kind of dumb and unnecessary? Yes, IMO.

 

[mean mr.mustard]

Catcher in the Rye was one of the most boring wastes of a read... I don't understand how everyone thinks it's the bees knees. Holden is a simple minded self serving piece of shit that pretty much wrote a diary... that's powerful stuff. Better ban it.

 

[Marywanna]

Geez, if Blagojevich can write his autobiography and not get banned, gay penguins should have a presence on our bookshelves, too!

Why didn't they send Blago to get the Olympics?

 

[Lil 'o Me]

Ok...... yea, it sucks that someone can ban books from schools. But, ya know parents, you can always take your kids to the library. Why not try that.... and spend some quality time reading with and to your kids, instead of worrying what they can and cant read in school. I'd rather do the majority of teaching my kids anyways. If you want your children to read about homo penguins..... get it on amazon. Why do people put so much on the "school's library"? There are plenty of other wonderful librarys out there to choose from.

 

[MarquisBlack]

I saw a crazy cool Christian billboard the other day that said "Every home is a school, what do YOU teach?". Thought it was relevant. *Shrug*

 

[Moldy Dreads]

I think that being gay is not the norm and penguins should not be forced to read books where they are taught to be themselves , way too gay..

 

[Lil 'o Me]

Moldy... seriously.... you crack me up.

Why do they gotta be gay anyways??? Mabey a female abandoned the egg and homie thought he'd help out the daddy penguin like a brutha might. What..... it could happen....?

 

[Prof Sublime]

I think its crazy that they ban any book....You all know kids now a days dont read.. DUH

Now if it was a TV show.........

 

[whiterabbit9]

 

[MarquisBlack]

I warned ye! Didn't I warn ye? That colored chalk was forged by Lucifer himself!