TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Gender Queer: A Memoir, a coming-of-age novel by a California writer is being removed from shelves at two local school libraries after concerns were raised about students bringing it home from school.
Pinellas County school officials launched an internal review of the book after hearing concerns about some of the content, according to a district representative.
“Due to the graphic illustrated sexual nature of some of the content, the book was deemed to not be age appropriate for all high school students,” spokeswoman Isabel Macareñas explained in a statement to News Channel 8.
Macareñas said the book was taken out of general circulation at Lakewood and Dunedin High Schools, but is available to teachers, school counselors, social workers and other district staff in the district’s Student Services collection.
She said the district has committees that review a variety of materials regularly, and students with concerns should talk to their principal.
The 239-page novel was written by nonbinary author Maia Kobabe and details her journey with gender identity and sexual orientation. It also covers topics like pronouns, hormones and gender affirmation surgery.
The book was singled out earlier this month when Texas Republican lawmaker Jeff Cason asked the state’s Attorney General to investigate books, including Gender Queer, which he described as “pornography,” CNN reported.