Dupage Policy Journal

As the  Community School District 99 board meeting unfolded in Downers Grove on Nov. 15, the board heard from parents opposed to books they feel are too sexually graphic for students.

The topic became more controversial following the release of a flyer in early November condemning illustrated books depicting graphic sex between underaged individuals in the library at Downers Grove North High School.

The flyer announcing a protest for the Nov. 15 board meeting displayed graphic sex images taken from the book 'Gender Queer,' a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe.

Concerned parents across the country have pointed to Kobabe’s work as gratuitously sexual and unnecessary for school children. Many communities, such as parents at CSD99, have questioned its place in school libraries.

“Your children have access to — on their phones and their computers — way more graphic imagery than that. But this is a school sponsored with my tax dollars, right?” Downers Grove 99 parent Terry Newsome told DuPage Policy Journal. “We have a hard enough time to monitor of our children on social media and I don't think anyone does a good job of it. But that still doesn't justify putting this stuff in the schools using our tax dollars.”

Now the discussion over the inclusion of illustrated pornography in school district libraries is taking another turn after the Illinois General Assembly’s LGTBQ Caucus released a statement condemning “Proud Boys Led Censorship.”

The members of the Illinois General Assembly who condemned the protest are state Reps. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake), Greg Harris (D-Chicago), Lamont Robinson (D-Chicago) and state Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago).

Newsome, a parent to twins in the school district, who had described the more graphic scenes in comments to the board on Nov. 15, said the issue should not be over the LGBT content of the book or whether or not Proud Boys were in attendance on Nov. 15, but the graphic sex as depicted in the book and others like it.

“Is there any value to a student, regardless of their sexual preferences to show oral sexual images like that?” Newsome told DuPage Policy Journal.

Newsome, who does not belong to an activist organization, said the statement the Illinois General Assembly released on official letterhead is trying to paint the coalition of groups that came together to protest under “far right” and anti-gay umbrellas so as to discredit their efforts.

He said when he took the flyer depicting oral sex as published in the book and showed it to parents, staff and faculty members, no one defended its presence in the district’s libraries.

“I talked to some teachers,” he said. “They were shocked. And Democrat teachers — I brought the little flyer with me to a booster event, showed one of the coaches who is Democratic, by the way, he covered his head. He said, 'This is in our school. Are you sure?’”

As a result of the politicization of the issue, Newsome claims he and other parents have been targeted and subjected to harassment via phone and online.

He said the tactics scared some parents who decided against publicly commenting as the meetings are aired online.

“People were ready to speak and they all backed off because they're scared. They were scared of being falsely labeled, scared about their jobs. They're scared about being boxed in. They're seeing all these different things and the tactics from the left that they were scared of,” Newsome said.

Newsome said the school should emphasize books that assist in anyone discovering and exploring sexuality. In particular he pointed out the book 'Times I Knew I was Gay.'

“That book is fine in helping children cope with their sexuality,” he said. “There are young gay kids, I can imagine it's going to be challenging. So there's, you know, helping kids with that, letting them understand what it's like to go through that or coming out or whatever all these different emotions that a young kid has in high school.

“That's helpful for the kids. But there's no reason to justify this pornographic stuff.”

Now Newsome said he believes Antifa elements have organized against parents opposed to books with illustrations of graphic sex.

While the flyer included a link to the Northern Illinois Proud Boys, Newsome said if the group's members were in attendance they were quiet about their orientation.

Newsome said he doesn’t belong to any group but thinks it is telling that the General Assembly only noted the presence of Proud Boys at the board meeting but not Antifa who allegedly announced their presence prior to meeting.

Newsome and at least 20 other concerned parents were to meet with the district on Nov. 23 at 3 p.m. in a smaller meeting.

Prior to the Nov. 15 meeting, Newsome said he asked Downers Grove South Principal Ed Schwartz to reveal any other books depicting graphic sex of any kind.

Newsome said the district has refused his request and focused the meeting only on 'Gender Queer' which he feels may be used as political ammunition and have the unfortunate effect of diminishing parent concerns by making it seem they are anti-gay.

He said at the very least parents should be notified of books containing graphic sexual images that are in the libraries and parents should be able to opt out from having their children check out those books.