Last month, Washington Post book critic Ron Charles decided to observe Banned Books Week by reading the "Top 10 Most Challenged Books" compiled by the American Library Association. Seven of them are LGBTQ-related: George; Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out; A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo; Prince & Knight; I Am Jazz; Drama; and what is probably the most famous title on the list: And Tango Makes Three. As Charles wryly observes:
"Nothing highlights the fragility of some adults quite like the campaign against this nonfiction picture book about two male penguins in New York's Central Park Zoo. Don't let their tuxedos fool you. According to complaints lodged at schools and public libraries, these little guys gave an agenda beyond just raising a chick on their own. But in fact, this adorable true story, with its perfect harmony of words and illustrations, will appeal to any child interested in the fascinating variety of nature. At the end, the authors write, 'Like all the other penguins in the penguin house, and all the other animals in the zoo, and all the families in the big city around them, they went to sleep.' Would that we could all let each other live and sleep in peace." Amen!
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