The Iowa State Board of Education has rejected a request to remove a book from Southwoods Freshman High School in West Des Moines, according to CBS2 Iowa. A recent appeal came in from a parent who felt the book was too inappropriate for the school. The appeal was first brought to the West Des Moines School district, which denied the appeal, and it was then shot up to the Iowa State Board of Education.

The book in question is titled "Gender Queer." The author's name is Maia Kobabe, who wrote the book, and talks about them coming to terms with their sexuality. Whether that be crushes as an adolescent, or how to talk about it with their family.

 

This isn't the first time this book has been asked to be removed from school districts either. According to Axios, the book was brought up last year at a board meeting in the Waukee School district, which also chose to not remove the book from their libraries. Also, last March the West Des Moines School District voted on keeping the book in the library as the board found the images in the book were taken out of context.

*NOTE* I am simply guessing here. I have no real clue about how these parents feel about this book.

I'm guessing what the parents who have challenged this book get most upset about is that inside the contents of the book, you will find comic-style drawings in form of oral sex.

One of the reasons for the book remaining is that the parent who challenged the appeal did not have a student in 9th grade at the time of requesting the book to be removed.  Alan Ostergren, the attorney who represented the parent wanting the book out of the school told CBS2 Iowa

what the state board decided was, is that because the parent that I’m representing right now her student was not in the 9th grade building when the challenge process started. She’s a parent in the district but her kid is not a 9th grader [therefore] they decided that the board did not have jurisdiction to consider the material.

Board members did go back on forth on this decision with some members against keeping the book in school. However you feel about this decision, I have a feeling this won't be the last we've heard of the book "Gender Queer" and Iowa school districts.

The book is currently for sale on Amazon.

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