In May, Jen-Petro Roy had a trip booked to Texas for a campus visit.
I Miss You, set up stops at middle schools around the U.S. for her to talk with students.
But for this specific event, the school abruptly canceled.
Credit: ILLUSTRATION BY FRANCESCO CICCOLELLA FOR EW
So she didnt go to Texas after all.
This wasnt new for her.
I Miss Youfollows an 11-year-old girl who begins questioning her faith and sexuality.
It contains no profanity or sexual content.
Yet its met resistance for over a year.
EW spoke to multiple authors, publishers, and booksellers and found that Petro-Roy is far from alone.
In spite of progressive advances in childrens literature, LGBTQ voices are being censored.
Holt heard from other writers in response to the essay.
Schools know that if theyre going to uninvite an author…a ban gets more attention, she says.
So were getting this terribly gaslight-y thing.
Taylor Norman, Holts editor at Chronicle Books, admits the problem is not inconsistent for her authors.
Ive been in publishing since 2011….
The sadness is it doesnt seem to have stopped.
Other authors echo that the problem hasnt worsened, exactly, but believe social media has magnified its severity.
Several booksellers declined or didnt respond to EWs requests for an interview.
It is so, so difficult to find unobjectionable content with a high enough comprehension level for eighth graders.
(Amazon lists the book as appropriate for grade level 7 and up.)
All this gatekeeping, and still its kids who ultimately suffer.
Theres so much to say for visibility, Holt says.
I travel around and talk to kids all over the country.
We can save lives, Bildner agrees.
I didnt come out until I was 20.
These books couldve changed the trajectory of my life.
Perhaps Petro-Roy puts it simplest: These arent issues at all.
Its just who these kids are.
(The issue will beavailable on all newsstands starting August 22.)
