Wayne Township parents call on school to pull book dealing with LGBTQ+ topics

Some parents in the Wayne Township School District say that a book dealing with LGBTQ+ topics is inappropriate and are calling on the school to pull the book off the library shelves.

News 12 Staff

Nov 18, 2021, 10:50 AM

Updated 1,058 days ago

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Some parents in the Wayne Township School District say that a book dealing with LGBTQ+ topics is inappropriate and are calling on the school to pull the book off the library shelves.
Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting was packed with concerned town residents. It was also heavily secured by the Wayne Police Department following some contentious meetings in the past.
Most of that contention is surrounding the book “Gender Queer” which can be found at the public library and the high school library.
The book deals with LGBTQ+ topics and some teachers tell News 12 New Jersey that students need to feel represented in education.
But the parents say that the book is inappropriate. They say that their gripe isn’t with the teachers, the school curriculum or even with students who identify as LGBTQ+. They say that the book itself is pornographic and should be gone.
"The book is sexually graphic. The book touches on topics such as sexting, it talks about OxyContin, it talks about masturbating while driving,” parent Rhonda Long told News 12. “We are not anti-curriculum, we are not anti-diversity, we are not anti-gay. The parents are just asking to be heard and to be a part of the process.”
“Gender Queer” has been pulled from the shelves in several other states.
The Wayne school board meeting is still in session as of 10 p.m. Thursday. The fate of the book may be decided by the end.