Gay penguin book shakes up Ill. school
SHILOH, Ill. - A picture book about two male penguins raising a baby penguin is getting a chilly reception among some parents who worry about the book's availability to children — and the reluctance of school administrators to restrict access to it.
The concerns are the latest involving "And Tango Makes Three," the illustrated children's book based on a true story of two male penguins in New York City's Central Park Zoo that adopted a fertilized egg and raised the chick as their own.
Complaining about the book's homosexual undertones, some parents of Shiloh Elementary School students believe the book — available to be checked out of the school's library in this 11,000-resident town 20 miles east of St. Louis — tackles topics their children aren't ready to handle.
Their request: Move the book to the library's regular shelves and restrict it to a section for mature issues, perhaps even requiring parental permission before a child can check it out.
For now, "And Tango Makes Three" will stay put, said school district Superintendent Jennifer Filyaw, though a panel she appointed suggested the book be moved and require parental permission to be checked out. The district's attorney said moving it might be construed as censorship.
Filyaw considers the book "adorable" and age appropriate, written for children ages 4 to 8.
"My feeling is that a library is to serve an entire population," she said. "It means you represent different families in a society — different religions, different beliefs."
Good grief. There's plenty of time for children to learn about homosexuality. WHEN THEY GROW UP!
Is it too much to ask that we let them enjoy their childhood before the indoctrination begins?
UPDATE
I've given it some more thought and mentioned this over at LGF a little while ago.
There is an upside to all the gay penguin madness. Maybe now they'll at least introduce some new color schemes to the drab black and white ensemble they're been parading about in all these years.
I've always thought penguins were lacking a sense of style.
Once they learn to accessorize properly and get a lobby and PAC up and running, they could be a force to reckon with.
We can't stop them. We can only hope to contain them.
UPDATE 2
Boy, am I out of touch. Little did I know there was a whole gay penguin subculture out there.
5 comments:
These are truly the "kitchen table" issues that we must all address in our own backyard. The big stuff is beyond our control, but things like this need to be dealt with HEAD ON.
And thank you for the blogroll honor. I will return your kind favor, post haste.
Don't be a stranger!
Jane
Hey Jammie - I'm of two minds on this Penguin stuff. First, if it is indeed based on a true story, then I don't see how it's a "gay penguin" story (I don't think there are any homosexual penguins....at least none that I've met) and as a true story - assuming it doesn't push the gay agenda, it ought to be available to kids.
Secondly, regarding your update, it just goes to prove that there are no penguins - otherwise some would wear cumerbunds or vests of multi-hued colors, and an earring or two!
Of course if the purpose of the book is to push "gay is ok" to little kids, then I think it should be on the "mature readers" list.
Kids don't need gay penguin for chrissakes! What in the heck is wrong with the world. Call me old-fashioned but I saw a tv/movie poster yesterday about a prison story and the image was a bar of soap on the floor of a shower. Now come on! Is this what passes for mainstream these days? Pretty disgusting, I think.
No problems with gays at all, don't get me wrong. I am just criticizing the lowering of our standards this far.
Hey JWF - just finished reading your second update and all I can say is "oh"! And to correct my first post on this to read "it just goes to prove that there are no gay penguins" on which point I was obviously incorrect.
Still don't know about the purpose of the book; still feel the same if it was intended to "push" homosexuality to young kids.
Heh. I live here and didn't hear about this. Funny! Tho I'm not sure if gay penguin books are the way to go for the kids at Shiloh Elementary, you can find lot's of odd things published by Penguin (www.penguinputnam.com)
Mcgyver, out
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