"Homosexual Content" Increasingly the Focus of School Library Censorship

An editorial in the CollegiateTimes.com reports that schools in Bedford County, Va. have removed Totally Joe from elementary school libraries after a parent complained of inappropriate content.  The book is reportedly not available in any county school or public library, and was removed after only one parent complained. 

In 2006, Teaching Tolerance interviewed author James Howe about Totally Joe and described the book this way:

As a sequel to 2001's The Misfits, Howe's newest, Totally Joe, continues the tale of Joe Bunch, a charming, gay 7th-grader who faces a homophobic bully and other challenges before coming out.

Howe says challenges to his books began to rise after the 2004 Presidential election - presumably referencing a trend toward cultural conservatism.  In 2005, the American Library Association's list of the top 10 most banned books in the country included three books banned for homosexual content.  That was the highest number in a decade - until this year when four such books appeared in the top 10.

-Kathleen A. Bergin