Should children be banned from reading books with homosexual content at a bookfair?

of course not.

Absolutely not. Many children nowadays have loving, gay parents or gay relatives. This is wrong.

Absolutely yes. Children need to be protected from reality at all costs. ~

No, that makes no sense. Sheltering kids does not work. They will rebel against their “teachings.” Why don’t people get that.

What is the offensive language??

I agree that it makes no sense. You aren’t forcing the children to read the book. It is an option. So it shouldn’t be a big deal at all. Those who didn’t believe in same-sex marriage could simply choose not to read it.

The very idea is revolting, what a bunch of pusillanimous bottom-line, lowlife, freedom-hating control-freak assholes.

Of course not. I’ve even heard of a children’s book – a young children’s book – that depicts two male penguins enjoying a relationship. Or something:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/08/gay-penguin-book-and-tang_n_100817.html

I can’t conceive how banning these books would be at all beneficial to children. On the contrary, it would probably be detrimental.

personally i think it´s wrong. everyone has a right to its own opinion including children.

I personally think the very fact that this debate is still raging is super homogay.

Think of the damage that will be done if kids ever learn that there are people out there different from themselves!

people rave how their nation is the harbinger of freedom of speech but when it comes to things they disagree with, they suddenly don’t want to have said anything.

@Grisaille point taken

But what if my kid read that book and…gasp…turned gay??? Banning isn’t enough! We need to burn those books! Come on, grab your pitchforks and follow me!! I might have a copy of Huckleberry Finn or Harry Potter to use as kindling.~

No. Honesty. Always honesty.

Besides, if parents don’t think kids don’t know anything about homosexuality by the time they’re in 2nd or 3rd grade in the US, I got a little bridge near my flat I’d like to sell them cheap.

I know when I was that age, many of the kids I knew already had nascent gaydar about a few kids at our church that turned out to be on the money by the time we were all out of high school.

In reading the first link, I was very surprised that the author agreed to remove the “offensive language”: geez, crap, sucks, and oh my God. She really wanted to be included in those book fairs! I’m so glad she drew the line and refused to change the girl’s parents to a heterosexual couple. It’s completely ridiculous to ban a book from the book fairs for that.

What about the kids who are gay? I bet it would be nice for them to read a story that depicts their fairy tale. Maybe some kids wish Cinderella is going to meet Princess Charming and live happily ever after…

I personally think its wrong if it is a minor part or not to extravagant. But sadly society is in a overwhelming majority straight so it is not acceptable by our culture.

I don’t think this content should be at a book fair, especially school book fairs. There are plenty of book stores that cater to gay and same sex marriages. If a same sex couple is raising a child or if you have relatives or friends that are homosexual a parent has the option of easy finding books to present this topic to their children. I don’t think I should have to explain something to my child that I don’t feel they are ready to learn about and that he/she wouldn’t otherwise know to pose such a question if not presented in a general learning atmosphere.

50 year ago, the same argument would have been brough forward against books that feature interracial couples.
bigotry pure and simple

@mponochie you are assuming all children are straight… see kellylet’s answer.

gay kids need to see positive role models. just like straight kids deserve to see positive portrayals of their own situations, gay kids deserve the same thing.

and all kids will see gay people at some point in their life. it might not be this book fair, but it might be at your neighborhood grocery store…. appox 10% of the populations identifies as something other than straight. they are there whether you like it or not. and might as well use the book as a teach opportunity rather than banning it.

how is book banning even still a real life happening???? haven’t we learned our lesson on this one yet??

@alive Check this site out. The Forbidden Library

Making something taboo is going to make the children want to read it more, as long as parents understand what the content is in the book and explain the whys and whatfors if needed then what’s the problem?
Surely if its a book fair the parents have some choice in what their childre buy, if they don’t feel their child is old enough to handle the book then they don’t need to buy it, you can’t stop some one else buying it just because one parent disagrees!

I live in Mississippi, and it probably would be banned here.

Heterosexual content is not appropriate for kids of a certain age either.

Yes, let’s have all children read about orphans, @mattbrowne.

This will solve everyone’s problems.

@alive Only 10% of the population is gay?!?? I thought a Lot more than that.