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Home » Blogs » Lyle Masaki's blog » And Tango Makes Three is the ALA's most challenged book for 2006

And Tango Makes Three is the ALA's most challenged book for 2006

by
Lyle Masaki

Every year the American Library Association compiles a list of the books people sought to have removed from a library's collection as part of Banned Books Week. In the latest list, covering 2006, the gay-themed And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell received the most complaints. Tango is based on the true story of two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo, Silo and Roy, who were a couple. The two had even made a nest and took turns caring for an egg-shaped rock until they were given an actual penguin egg to nurture, eventually leading the the birth of penguin chick Tango.

Tango wasn't the only gay-themed book among the year's most challenged books. The list also included The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Chris Crutcher's Athletic Shorts and the Gossip Girl series by Cecily Von Ziegesar. Nobel-prize winner Toni Morrison was the only writer who had two books among 2006's ten most challenged titles (for language and sexual content) in The Bluest Eye and Beloved.

Overall, gay themed books are frequently challenged as a way to prevent young readers from better understanding the experiences of gay people. Lists of the past year's most challenged books frequently include a few gay themed titles. Last year's list included Geography Club by Brent Hartinger as well as Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher (who has a different book being challenged on this year's list).

The ALA encourages people to spend Banned Books week educating themselves about intellectual freedom and to getting to know the challenged books to understand them beyond the rhetoric from those seeking to suppress them. This year, they are conducting some online events including book discussions in Second Life as well as a MySpace page dedicated to Banned Books Week. Check out a list of the 100 most challenged books of 1990-2000 -- how many have you read?

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    • Submitted by
    Lyle Masaki
    on Mon, 2007-10-01 13:30.
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    JBE's picture

    I think we should

    Submitted by
    JBE (2667 points) (534 posts)
    on Mon, 2007-10-01 14:24.

    start a list of the most challenged intellects, those ignorant busybodies that have nothing better to do then trying to ban books that send a positive message to straight and gay youth alike.

    Cheers

    JBE

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    Dwiz's picture

    Sad

    Submitted by
    Dwiz (1099 points) (213 posts)
    on Mon, 2007-10-01 14:33.

    How can a book about love and caring for an orphan be BANNED?! This is ridiculous, and I'm sure is somehow linked to conservative, Christian politics and little or nothing to do with educating our youth culture. That cover art is adorable, and has such a positive story! It's just sad that this book won't be as accessible simply because of someone else's prejudice.

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    Evan's picture

    Banning Backfire

    Submitted by
    Evan (2890 points) (574 posts)
    on Mon, 2007-10-01 16:51.
    I think in the long run this will help And Tango Makes Three.  Banning literature creates curiosity that wouldn't be there otherwise.  I own the book and will pass it on to my kids; it's one of the great children's books.
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    JBE's picture

    You could be right

    Submitted by
    JBE (2667 points) (534 posts)
    on Mon, 2007-10-01 18:41.

    , if nothing else it makes the opponents look ridiculous in most people's eyes.  I mean almost everybody finds penguins cute, trying to ban a book that features them definitely puts these wackos on the fringe of society.

    Cheers

    JBE

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    JustinAndrews's picture

    So much for free speech...

    Submitted by
    JustinAndrews (940 points) (184 posts)
    on Mon, 2007-10-01 18:22.

    Maybe one day, book banning will go the way of the the rotary dialed phone and B&W TV. I think I saw one of those once in my Gramps basement. ;)

     

    Justin

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    JBE's picture

    We still have a

    Submitted by
    JBE (2667 points) (534 posts)
    on Mon, 2007-10-01 18:32.

    rotary phone in the family cottage!  It hurts the fingers to use it.  I must admit Black & White TVs are a collectors item now.

    Cheers

    JBE

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    Jacob's picture

    Black and white TV? I keep

    Submitted by
    Jacob (930 points) (186 posts)
    on Mon, 2007-10-01 21:53.

    Black and white TV? I keep forgetting that all this media I take for granted is really pretty young as these things go. I can't imagine what my day would be like without the internet, my iPhone and my fave TV shows (new episode of Heroes tonight, watching and waiting for that gay character to show up!).

    And it's like Evan said, there's no such thing as bad publicity (this anecdote, I have decided, is actually no longer appropriate due to certain Hollywood "It" girls who have managed to prove it wrong) and this will only generate more buzz about a book that most people after reading it will think less of those who try to ban it.

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    JBE's picture

    "Heroes" is

    Submitted by
    JBE (2667 points) (534 posts)
    on Tue, 2007-10-02 05:31.

    my partner's favourite show these days, I will have to ask him how it was.  He loves shows that feature characters with supernatural powers (and he is in his 30's).  I did not realize that it could have a gay character this season.

    Cheers

    JBE

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    Brian Juergens's picture

    The new gay hero

    Submitted by
    Brian Juergens (1205 points) (6471 posts)
    on Tue, 2007-10-02 08:21.
    We posted about the season's gay character, if you'd like to know more. It's unfortunately not the best news.
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    Lyle Masaki's picture

    and yet

    Submitted by
    Lyle Masaki (3516 points) (4430 posts)
    on Tue, 2007-10-02 09:00.
    the show doles out gay subtext like there's no tomorrow... which is a strange combination to say the least.
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    Celtic Tiger's picture

    Hehe

    Submitted by
    Celtic Tiger (366 points) (72 posts)
    on Tue, 2007-10-02 14:45.

    I love Smallville and i'm almost 45 :D

     "It's your will against mine and you will lose."  Clint Eastwood - Heartbreak Ridge

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    Celtic Tiger's picture

    At least

    Submitted by
    Celtic Tiger (366 points) (72 posts)
    on Tue, 2007-10-02 14:28.

    the rotary phone and B&W TV served a useful purpose in their time (yes, I remember both quite clearly :), but I have yet to find any redemption in banning knowledge and information.

    "It's your will against mine and you will lose."  Clint Eastwood - Heartbreak Ridge

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    Celtic Tiger's picture

    Idiots

    Submitted by
    Celtic Tiger (366 points) (72 posts)
    on Tue, 2007-10-02 14:22.
    This is wrong on so many levels.  First, this is supposed to be a country that embraces the freedom of speech and expression.  While we may not agree with every message to which we are exposed, the fact that we are allowed to express those opinions are firmly enshrouded in the Bill of Rights.  Granted those basic freedoms in the BoR have been mutilated and usurped by the present administration, but I never saw an official notice they had been suspended completely.  One must wonder though just how sacred we hold the belief in freedom of speech when books are allowed to be banned just because some don't wish to hear the message, or wish to prevent others from hearing the message.  It seems we are moving further away from the intentions of our founding fathers and closer towards the state sponsored propaganda of the Nazis and communist Russia.  If we allow these things within our own borders, then who are we to go around the world forcing democracy upon anyone?  Instead of freedom, we are actually teaching hypocrisy.
    Secondly, this is a true story based on the lives of actual animals, not some fictionalized account designed to inflame and provoke.  The truly sad part of all this is that the message of love, compassion and nurturing are completely missed by those small-minded morons who cant see past the gender of the two penguins involved.  Of course, we have to blame the penguins as they made a conscious choice to be gay and they deserve all the crap life (society) throws at them.  Oh wait, I forgot animals don't have the intellect to make such cognitive decisions.  I guess maybe it IS a natural thing after all, which leads me to my third point.
    Those two penguins are the antithesis of everything the extremist religious wackos hold dear.  It is a blatant example that homosexuality does exist in nature, and if two animals can be naturally gay, then maybe humans are that way by birth as well.  While they can "justify" their hated and bigotry by calling it a choice, that foundation crumbles if those affected have no choice in the matter and they will be forced to recognize themselves for what they truly are...bigots.  Christianity has a long history of suppressing scientific fact and progress when it conflicts with church-approved dogma.  The Dark Ages are an example of religious fanaticism taken to extremes.  The church attempted to confine literacy to their own order because illiterate people would then have to rely on those that could read to make sense of the world for them.  If people could read, then they may start thinking for themselves and may come up with an interpretation that undermines the church's ability to extort money from them.  Rather than embrace change and enlightenment, they wish us to remain ignorant and dependant upon the church for guidance in all things.  Scientific evidence and common sense will put them out of a very lucrative job and they might actually have to work for their supper.
    Does anyone else miss the rights and freedoms we used to have?  Freedom of speech and expression, freedom from religious persecution and the separation of church and state are becoming distant memories and the worst part about this is the coming generations will see this as the norm and the way its always been, never knowing we were once intended to be a free nation.

    "It's your will against mine and you will lose."  Clint Eastwood - Heartbreak Ridge

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    JBE's picture

    Maybe these penguins

    Submitted by
    JBE (2667 points) (534 posts)
    on Tue, 2007-10-02 14:29.

    were exposed to Hollywood animated movies featuring penguins that were sending gay-positive messages to them subliminly!

    Cheers

    JBE

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    Celtic Tiger's picture

    I wonder

    Submitted by
    Celtic Tiger (366 points) (72 posts)
    on Tue, 2007-10-02 15:58.

    if this approach will work on that cute blonde boy that lives down the road?

    "It's your will against mine and you will lose."  Clint Eastwood - Heartbreak Ridge

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    Jacob's picture

    If it does, let me know,

    Submitted by
    Jacob (930 points) (186 posts)
    on Fri, 2007-10-05 20:50.
    If it does, let me know, okay?
    no votes
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