<
https://theconversation.com/guess-what-mem-foxs-childrens-book-was-banned-in-florida-over-nudity-but-bathing-is-not-a-sexual-act-205657>
"Australian author Mem Fox’s 1988 picture book
Guess What?, illustrated by
Vivienne Goodman, has been banned in Duval County, Florida over allegations of
“pornography”. Why? Because one illustration depicts the main character, “old
witch” Daisy O'Grady, taking a bath.
The picture book, which invites children to guess Daisy’s witchy identity
through a series of clues, joins a plethora of titles – mostly with LGBTQIA+ or
culturally diverse themes – that have been removed from school libraries in the
state.
Fox is one of Australia’s most beloved authors: her first book,
Possum Magic,
is one of Australia’s bestselling ever children’s books, with sales of over
four million (and counting). Her agent told the
Guardian, “We have nothing to
say on this issue. Duval County is a county of 997,000 people in Florida. It is
not important.”
The banning comes on the heels of new legislation, enacted in 2022, that has
seen many Florida schools strip their library shelves and cover up books in
classroom libraries for fear of breaching the law – and risking a prison
sentence.
Under Section 847.012 of the Florida statutes, materials prohibited in schools
include:
Any picture […] or visual representation of a person or a portion of a human
body which depicts nudity or sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sexual
battery, bestiality, or sadomasochistic abuse and which is harmful to
minors.
Failure to comply is a third-degree felony, which can carry a prison sentence
of up to five years.
The full criteria can be found in the department’s online training slideshow
but, simply put, all books must be age appropriate and “free of pornography”.
However, what constitutes both “appropriate” and “pornography” – and how this
is decided – remains unclear."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
