Gino, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, said, “There’s a whole bunch of cisgender people who haven’t read the book and the only name they have for this trans girl is the wrong name. The book officially became titled “Melissa” in October. Melissa goes to the zoo with her best friend wearing makeup, a skirt and pink underwear, and she uses the women’s bathroom.
At the end of the book, her friend begins to call her Melissa. The main character is referred to as “George” throughout the book, though she says early on that she calls herself “Melissa” when nobody’s around. Those three books, as well as “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” are among the books being targeted in the complaints. Then, Wake County parents filed nine criminal complaints last week with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, accusing the school system of distributing obscene and pornographic material. Robinson posted a video in October highlighting three books that feature LGBTQ+ protagonists: “Melissa” (which was formerly called “George”), “Lawn Boy” and “Gender Queer: A Memoir.” Mark Robinson or parent groups who say the books are “R-rated if not X-rated.” One parent even compared the content to the erotic adult novel “50 Shades of Grey.” What we foundįour LGBTQ+ books available in some North Carolina public school libraries have come under fire from Lt. We read these books that some parents say shouldn’t be in school libraries. Which five books do you think everyone should read? Tell us in this poll. Is common ground possible? We asked Triangle people to name 5 books everyone should read. Books can enlighten, entertain, educate - and divide.