Children’s book flagged as potentially ‘sexually explicit’ over writer’s last name

A children's book has fallen foul of censorship laws in Alabama which prohibit certain content from being discussed in schools.

The book, called Read Me a Story, Stella, was flagged as being potentially 'sexually explicit'.

The story itself focuses on two siblings, Sam and Stella, enjoy a day out together reading, watching the clouds, visiting a lake, and flying a kite, according to the author's official website.

But it wasn't the book's content which caused it to be flagged up - rather the author's name.

Read Me a Story, Stella was written by Canadian children's author Marie-Louise Gay.

The book was flagged simply because the word 'gay' had cropped on it, meaning that it was moved to the adult section of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HCPL) because it could be 'sexually explicit'.

The incident comes as many states, including Alabama, work to pass laws such as the Parental Rights in Education act, also called the 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

New rules have seen words such as 'gay', 'LGBT', or 'gender' flagged up as bills target certain subject matter, such as sexual orientation and gender identity, being taught in schools.

Groundwood Books

Gay’s publicist, Kirsten Brassard, of Groundwood Books, told AL.com: “Although it is obviously laughable that our picture book shows up on their list of censored books simply because the author’s last name is Gay, the ridiculousness of that fact should not detract from the seriousness of the situation."

She also said that the book had never been 'mistakenly censored'.

Referring to another book, The Hate U Give, which includes the shooting of a black teenager by a police officer, she added: “This proves, as always, that censorship is never about limiting access to this book or that one.

"It is about sending the message to children that certain ideas—or even certain people—are not worthy of discussion or acknowledgement or consideration.

“This is a hateful message in a place like a public library, where all children are meant to feel safe, and where their curiosity about the world is meant to be nurtured.”

It was flagged up because of author Marie-Louise Gay's surname. Credit' Marie-Louise Gay

HCPL executive director, Cindy Hewitt, said that the book had mistakenly been placed on the list, saying: “Obviously, we’re not going to touch that book for any reason."

Hewitt added that she'd instructed branch managers to use words such as 'sexuality, gender, sex, and dating' when looking for books to flag, adding that there was 'miscommunication' and 'confusion' when creating the review list.

She continued to say that the library was preparing for 'unprecedented' book challenges by using this book as an example.

“We understand and appreciate our community, and the needs of our collection to reflect our community,” she said. “We were never eliminating any book. We were just looking at it as a whole.”