***Warning: The following images, while approved unanimously by a 10-person committee in Carlisle, should not be considered appropriate for children. Please do not let young eyes look at this story. Thank you.***
A 10-person reconsideration committee in Carlisle unanimously recommended keeping the book “Gender Queer” in the high school library.
The book has come under fire for containing images like these:
The committee said the book’s content provides “a perspective that is relevant to today’s teens and has an educational and social-emotional component for students interested or needing information on the topics in this book.”
“The graphics or illustrations in the text do not represent the primary theme of the book,” it added. “In fact, the committee agrees while the graphics in question may be offensive to some, the value of the overall message and storyline outweigh the graphic nature of the pictures.”
The committee also said library collections are not required reading.
“Parents and legal guardians should make decisions with their child about what is appropriate for their individual reading choices,” the committee said.
Stacy Goodhue and Dana Lillis signed the recommendation.
Can you please help me understand why the individuals distributing pornography to minors are not being prosecuted? The law as I read it seems very clear that this is illegal.
https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ceos/citizens-guide-us-federal-law-obscenity
“In addition, Section 1466A of Title 18, United State Code, makes it illegal for any person to knowingly produce, distribute, receive, or possess with intent to transfer or distribute visual representations, such as drawings, cartoons, or paintings that appear to depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and are deemed obscene. This statute offers an alternative 2-pronged test for obscenity with a lower threshold than the Miller test. The matter involving minors can be deemed obscene if it (i) depicts an image that is, or appears to be a minor engaged in graphic bestiality, sadistic or masochistic abuse, or sexual intercourse and (ii) if the image lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. A first time offender convicted under this statute faces fines and at least 5 years to a maximum of 20 years in prison.”