16 DAYS UNTIL THE LAW TAKES EFFECT, AND THERE ARE REPORTS THAT MISSOURI SCHOOLS ARE PULLING GRAPHIC NOVELS WITH IMAGES OF SEX ACTS.
WHAT'S ROCKWOOD GOING TO DO?
We emailed Rockwood. In our email, we referenced the two books in Rockwood known to contain images that appear to match the language in the new law:
"Gender Queer: A Memoir" and "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic."
We asked the head librarian, administrator in charge of book challenges, new superintendent, and all 7 school board members if they were going to remove these books from the libraries, or if they had a plan to keep students from getting them. We have not yet received a response.
STILL IN THE LIBRARY DATABASE
As of today, "Gender Queer" is still listed in the library database for 3 of Rockwood's high schools.
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| Rockwood library database as of Aug. 12, 2022 |
During our check today, we noticed "Fun Home" has been removed. It was still in the database when we checked in July.
We asked in our email if it was removed from the database because of the law. It's possible it's been removed because they consider it lost. More on that below.
This site has reported on the two books, both of which were challenged by parents. ("Gender Queer" was also challenged by at least one teacher.) The challenges were not successful.
The books were challenged because of images on the pages that parents say are pornographic in nature. (The new law only pertains to images; not written words.)
Here are some of those images:
WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT
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| One of the controversial pages in "Gender Queer." |
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| One of the controversial pages in "Fun Home." |
For more information about the content of both books and other books that are controversial due to explicit sexual content, go here: Controversial books in Rockwood.
For additional posts on this site about action taken on these books, use the search feature and the book titles. Note that a court in Virginia ruled that there is probable cause the book "Gender Queer" is obscene for minors. That case is ongoing.
ROCKWOOD REJECTED CHALLENGE
Also note: Rockwood rejected the challenge for "Fun Home" last November. That means the district did not convene a committee to review the book or consider parent concerns about the book. Dr. Shelley Willott cited the fact that the Individualized Learning Center, where it was kept, was not open to students at the time. Willott also said she rejected the challenge because when they went to look for the book, they couldn't find it.