Lang
5/10/23
A contested book in the Kalona Public Library will stay on the shelves.
Community members had sought to have the book Gender Queer: A Memoir removed from the Kalona library’s adult non-fiction section. The 2019 book is described as a “graphic memoir written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe. It recounts Kobabe’s journey from adolescence to adulthood and the author’s exploration of gender identity and sexuality, ultimately identifying as being outside of the gender binary.”
Some community members had sought to have the book removed from the Kalona library’s shelves due to its LGBTQ+ themes, calling it “pornography”. Tuesday night the library board heard arguments from both sides at a public meeting, and ultimately voted 5-2 to keep the book in the library.