Gray never said 'ban books,' but tells city manger to report back on 'Gender Queer'

At left, the book cover of Gender Queer: A Memoir; at right, some of the slides and images from the graphic novel. Image top right was modified by The Voice to be less offensive to our readers. (The Iowa Standard/courtesy)

Editor's note: Some readers of The Rochester Voice may find the images and verbiage in this article offensive but in the interest of our children it needs to be read so whatever action is deemed necessary can be taken.

ROCHESTER - Rochester City Councilor Jim Gray told The Rochester Voice on Saturday that - despite what a Foster's Daily Democrat headline proclaimed last week - he is not looking to ban books from the Rochester Public Library.
Gray said he simply asked that an agenda item be added to the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting to look into a book reported to be on the shelf in the library's children's room that some parents might find objectionable.

The minute-long request can be read below and can be viewed around the 47:30 mark of the Aug. 16 meeting by clicking here.
"I'd like an agenda item added to the next City Council meeting that has to do with some disturbing books that a constituent found in the Dover library, and says those same books are in the children's section of the Rochester library," Gray said. "I will forward that communication to the city manager, so that he can consult with the librarian. They have various images on them of cartoon type characters involved in various sexually explicit activity. And certainly I want to find out what the situation is in Rochester and what our current ordinances are and what we intend to do about those materials."
One of the books that has drawn the most scrutiny nationwide is Gender Queer: A Memoir.
The books that are being singled out as inappropriate are of the graphic novel genre, but to many they might appear more like comic books.

The Rochester Voice learned today, Tuesday, that Gender Queer: A Memoir is not in the Children's Room. It is in the Young Adult Graphic Novel section, which is for readers 12-21, according to library personnel.

Gray said he never said he wanted to "ban the books."
The Foster's reporter "interpreted I wanted to ban the books," he told The Voice.
The books are laced with conversations about sexual awakening of young people during their adolescent years, but some of the most graphic images can be found in Gender Queer: A Memoir, which shows what appears to be one teen performing oral sex on another.
According to Wikipedia the image is of (the author's) girlfriend performing oral sex on em while e wears a strap-on dildo." (e and em are what often referred to as nonbinary pronouns)
Gender Queer has received both widespread critical acclaim as well as condemnation from parents nationwide.
Many libraries that received criticism have removed the books immediately, including in Keller, Texas, where Kathy May successfully led a movement for its removal from school library shelves.
"This is porn," she said on Lt. Col. Allen West's "Steadfast and Loyal" podcast a few days ago. "School districts across the country are getting this off the shelves."
May said she found many more books with disturbing subjects, but that Gender Queer was the most repugnant visually.
"Condoms that have poop on them?" she quipped referring to other such books. "They call this educational purposes? These graphic YA (young adult) novels are way too graphic."

Gray said he expects City Manager Blaine Cox to confer with the head librarian at Rochester Public Library and come back with his report on Tuesday along with any ordinances the city may have on the books, most likely those associated with obscenity.
Depending on what Cox comes back with, the item may then be discussed at a City Council workshop on Sept. 21.