Darien Mayor Joseph A. Marchese (R) refused to take a side in a debate over whether the book Gender Queer should be in D99’s libraries.
The book is available in libraries in both Downers Grove South and North high schools.
Terry Newsome, who has a child in the ninth grade at the school, confronted Marchese in a video.
“Do you approve of this for being with 13-year-old children or not?” Newsome asked him.
Newsome has been a parent leader railing against the book’s sexual elements as well as school administrators who won't comment on the book's sexually graphic illustrations.
“I’m really torn because I know this has won national awards,” Marchese said to Newsome.
Gender Queer is a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe. The book — which includes illustrated scenes of graphic gay sex — has been a source of national controversy.
Parents have pointed to Kobabe’s work as gratuitously sexual and unnecessary for school children. Parents at CSD99 are questioning its place in school libraries.
Marchese— who was elected in 2019 — said he was at the school the previous week participating in a government course and he spoke to faculty about the book. “I talked to a couple of people over there and they see this as something that's available to the kids who have issues with their gender. So they feel the content of the book outweighs (your protest),” Marchese told Newsome.
Newsome asked him if he felt children should have access to the book in schools.
“Are you saying that it's OK for people to show this to my freshman children in school? Yes or no?” Newsome said.
Marchese responded that he did not want to take a stance on the issue, but did say, “I wouldn’t show this to my grandson.”
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