The Florida Department of Education has told public schools statewide to remove 55 books from their libraries shelves, including This Book Is Gay, a 2014 reference book for gay, lesbian, and questioning people. Schools were given until today to comply with the order. However, one state free speech organization is fighting back. The full list of banned books includes other LGBTQ+-inclusive titles like Andr Acimans 2007 bisexual coming-of-age novel Call Me By Your Name and George M. Johnsons memoir All Boys Arent Blue. The states Department of Education has called these and the other banned books clearly pornographic, though parents and educators disagree. Related Ron DeSantis lies to Fox News about Floridas anti-LGBTQ+ laws Stephana Ferrell, a parent and director of the Florida Freedom to Read Project (FFTRP), accused the state government of trying to override local school districts by deciding what students of all ages should be allowed to read. Ferrell and her organization are encouraging students, parents, and educators to contact the state board of education to oppose attempted ban.Every district basically got that message that those 55 books violate the law according to the state. It doesnt matter if local community standards say, No, these books are okay for certain grades, and we believe them to fit our community standards, Ferrell told WPLG. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today They are making the argument that our school [libraries] are government speech and they can decide what is appropriate or not, she continued. You have to review these books in their entirety to determine whether or not the intent of the work is to sexually excite the reader, [but] there is no opportunity for local parents to get involved. None of it matters. The state has decided for us.Florida has an infamous Dont Say Gay law that forbids K-12 teachers from mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms in any way that might be seen as not age-appropriate.However, in 2024, the states Department of Education settled a legal challenge against the law, promising to notify all school districts that the legislation doesnt impact voluntary reading materials made available in school libraries. State law currently allows parents to challenge books in their school district, but a committee must review those challenges to determine whether a books content is inappropriate. If the content is deemed suitable for the schools readers, it remains on library shelves.Despite this, Floridas Education Department Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas has threatened local school boards that offer LGBTQ+-inclusive books. Most recently, he threatened the superintendent of the Hillsborough County School District for offering Trans Mission: My Quest to a Beard, trans male author Alex Berties 2017 memoir, FFTRP reported.A professional review bySchool Library Journalnoted that Berties book is appropriate for grades 7 and up. Floridas Clay County School District also reviewed the book twice in response to parental challenges and found that it was appropriate for middle and high school readers.FFTRP noted that, in a recent state Board of Education meeting, board members threatened educators with mass firings, felony charges, and decried the public review process if they dont agree to remove the aforementioned books. This Book Is Gay is one of the most challenged books in the U.S.Dawsons book primarily serves as an explainer for gay/lesbian cisgender people and their allies, offering a starting place for questions about sex, culture and politics. The books latter chapters include one entitled The Ins and Outs of Gay Sex. Its introductory text warns readers, This Chapter is about sex. [] If you are a younger reader and feel you arent ready for the finer details of same-sex pairings, then simply skip this whole chapter.While the chapter references some sex acts, the descriptions are more scientific than titillating. The book is intended to help educate teenagers, especially since sexual education classes are increasingly rare in public schools and regularly exclude same-sex couples, something the author calls a form of institutional homophobia. The books publisher says the ideal reading age for the book is 14-17 years.This Book Is Gay is one of the most frequently challenged and banned LGBTQ+ books in the nation, according to the American Library Association. Ali Velshi, host of The Velshi Banned Book Club said, Many of the arguments made against This Book is Gay center around antiquated views of gender expression and sexuality, but theyre also made in bad faith, including labeling this book as inappropriate. For a certain age group, this book is inappropriate. This book is not for young children which is why it is not written for or marketed to them [nor are supporters of the book] intending for it to be used to teach young children. Sending our young people, regardless of sexual orientation, into the world without a comprehensive understanding of how to prevent sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy is a huge problem, Velshi added. Sending our young people into the world without a conversation about who exactly they are is nothing short of a crisis.Dawson (who is a transgender sexual health educator) said in 2015, The goal of the book is to make young LGBT+ people feel less isolated and alone, adding, I love librarians with all my heart, and I trust they will find an appropriate shelf to stock This Book Is Gay where younger readers cant get to it, but those who desperately need it can.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.