New Challenges Filed
at Beleaguered Texas Library
Only two months after declining to remove two sex-education books from the shelves of the Montgomery County (Tex.) Library System, the library’s 10-member materials-review committee has two more titles to reconsider: Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block and Desire Lines by Jack Gantos. As with the Robie L. Harris books previously challenged, the unidentified complainant has charged that the two novels promote homosexuality and promiscuity, and denigrate Christianity.
“I think we are going to see a lot of requests to remove books,” Jim Jenkins, president of the Montgomery County Republican Leadership Council, said in the January 15 Houston Chronicle, predicting that area Christian groups would soon be challenging many more titles in the MCLS collection. “Just because a book discusses issues, it doesn’t mean they promote issues,” countered Karyl Palmisano of the grassroots group Mainstream Montgomery County, which was formed last fall in response to the earlier challenges as well as to back a $10-million library capital bond issue, which narrowly passed November 3.
Named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, Weetzie Bat follows the title character and her gay friend Dirk as they enjoy life in Los Angeles and find true love. Desire Lines depicts the violent consequences when an insecure high-schooler is influenced by an antigay teen preacher to “out” a lesbian couple. Both titles are shelved in the library’s young-adult section.
Posted January 27, 2003.
|
