Speaking of Girls Kissing . . .

Maureen Johnson’s novel, The Bermudez Triangle, which contains no sex but is about (among other things) a lesbian relationship, has been removed from the Bartlesville Mid-High School in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The removal began with a single parent’s complaint about “the lack of discretion, and moral decline in the selection of books at the Mid-High library.” This parent singled out The Bermudez Triangle for having “no moral fiber” and promoting a “do whomever you want to discover yourself” mentality. The decision to remove the book was made by a committee appointed by the Bartlesville Board of Education upon receiving the parent’s complaint.

Maureen has responded to the action and allegations on her blog:

The idea that Bermudez is a “sexual free for all” is a joke. My mother read Bermudez—the same mother who wouldn’t let me wear denim skirts and who still tells me the stork brought me—and said, “I can’t see why anyone would object to this book.”

Maureen concludes that the complaint reflects “Garden Variety homophobia.”

The Oklahoma Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee has been asked to look into the situation.

Stay tuned for updates.