09/25/2026
I have some thoughts on the Florida Department of Education’s posts about sexually explicit books in school libraries.
First, that original post using the graphic passage from Beyond Magenta? I thought it was completely unnecessary. Taking one of the most graphic passages, putting it in giant letters, and making THAT the focus felt like it was designed to get an emotional reaction rather than start an actual conversation about the book.
Also, can we talk about the irony of sharing THIS and then saying our children are too sensitive for this material??? The same children who have the internet in their hands!
And honestly, that’s a shame, because I think there IS a conversation worth having here.
Beyond Magenta is a YA nonfiction book about transgender and nonbinary teens and young adults sharing their experiences. It’s listed by the publisher as 14+ and Grade 9+.
Do I think every book belongs in every school library? No. Of course not. Parents should absolutely be able to question whether a particular book is appropriate for a particular age group.
But here’s the part I don’t understand:
Do we really think removing a book means teenagers stop encountering the subject matter?
They have phones. The internet. Social media. Friends. Relationships. They hear things. They see things. Some are already dealing with these questions in their own lives.
The book isn’t creating the reality.
And I’m not saying Beyond Magenta belongs in every school or that every student should have access to it. I’m saying maybe the conversation needs to be about age and maturity, not just “this book contains something uncomfortable, so get rid of it.”
Because a 14-year-old freshman and an 18-year-old senior are not the same kid.
We expect high school students to start making adult decisions. We talk to them about college, careers, relationships, finances and their futures. Many seniors are literally adults.
So why do we assume the library collection appropriate for a freshman has to be identical to what’s appropriate for a senior?
And as a parent, I’ve never believed that protecting my kids meant pretending uncomfortable things didn’t exist.
I talked to my kids about the hard stuff. The taboo stuff. The stuff we’d probably rather they never have to deal with.
Because eventually, they leave our houses.
They’re going to encounter these things whether a book is sitting on a library shelf or not.
I’d much rather have adults willing to have those difficult conversations with kids than pretend removing a book removes the problem.
You can remove the book. You can’t remove the reality.
That’s the conversation I think we should be having.
