The Maricopa County Public Library system is celebrating “Pride Month,” and encouraging young readers to join in Rainbow Book Month.
“Read the Rainbow! June is Pride Month, a celebration of and by the LGBTQIA+ community. It is observed in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a formative point in the gay rights movement. The unifying symbol for Pride, the rainbow flag, is an inspiring reflection of the diversity of the human race. Welcome these titles into your Summer Reading plans, and find more in our catalog!,” urges the County’s website.
This is how @maricopacounty spends it's time and money – pushing gender confusion on 5-year-olds.
PARENTS: I guess we now know who the middle finger in their logo is aimed at. https://t.co/h7jQ8HA79p
— Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (@ScottsdaleUnite) June 6, 2023
A group of concerned parents, Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity, responded to the campaign on Twitter:
Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity @ScottsdaleUnite
This is how @maricopacounty spends its time and money – pushing gender confusion on 5-year-olds.
PARENTS: I guess we now know who the middle finger in their logo is aimed at.
The parent group is referring to both the new logo recently adopted by the County that has replaced the letter “I” in Maricopa with a bright orange cactus that looks like it is making a vulgar gesture (commonly known as the bird) as well as the fact that picture books on transgender ideology are suggested for very young children: Among the picture books are the following titles and subjects:
Payden’s Pronoun Party by Blue Jaryn
Payden has always used he/him pronouns, until one day Payden realizes those words might not fit. Payden’s parents promise to throw a big party to introduce whatever pronouns Payden chooses―but which pronouns are the best match?
I Am a Rainbow! by Mark Kanemura
A professional dancer, LGBTQIA+ advocate, and social media star shares this inspiring picture book based on his childhood in Hawaii and encourages readers to find safe spaces that allow them to shine.
Patience, Patches! by Christy Mihaly
Patches the puppy is patient – least he thinks so! But when his two moms arrive home with a new baby, his patience is tested.
The Wishing Flower by A. J. Irving
An LGBTQ-inclusive story about understanding your peers, your feelings, and yourself.
Téo’s Tutu by Maryann Jacob Macias
Téo loves to dance, whether it’s the cumbia with Papí, the bhangra with Amma, or ballet class with Miss Lila. He also loves the way his tutu makes him feel, inside and out. But when it comes time to decide which outfit to wear in the big dance recita – a sparkly tutu or shimmering silver pants – Téo wonders if being his most authentic self on stage will put him too much in the spotlight.
Grandad’s Pride by Harry Woodgate
After Milly discovers a pride flag in Grandad’s attic, this adorable pair are motivated by the past to start a pride parade in their small town.
My Own Way by Joana Estrela
A poetic introduction to the wonder of gender diversity for young children.
Among the books recommended for teens are:
A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow
Two seventeen-year-old trans boys in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, struggling to understand themselves and their love for each other, are inspired by an online story about trans soldiers who fell in love during the American Revolution.
Always the Almost by Edward Underhill
Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson’s New Year resolutions include winning back his ex-boyfriend and winning the Midwest’s biggest classical piano competition, but when a new, proudly queer boy moves to town, Miles reconsiders who he was and who he is now.
Here and Queer: a Queer Girl’s Guide to Life by Rowan Ellis
A helpful, friendly guide full of support and advice about living your best queer life, written for girls.
Welcome to St. Hell: my trans teen misadventure by Lewis Hancox
Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body and is confused about who to snog. He knows she’s really a he and will ultimately realize this… but she’s going to go through a whole lot to get to that point.
Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
Despite their differences, soon to be eighteen-year-olds Henry Hamlet and Lennon Crane have been best friends for most of their lives, but in their senior year at Northolm Grammar School for Boys in Brisbane, Australia, Henry realizes he is in love with Len.
This Is Our Place by Vitor Martins
The house at Number 8 Sunflower Street tells the stories of three teenagers who have lived within its walls in the 21st century – Ana, a lesbian forced to leave her home, Greg sent to live with his aunt when his parents divorce, and Beto, a would-be photographer living during the COVID pandemic.
Only on the Weekends by Dean Atta
The son of a film director, Mack grows up on set and into a hopeless romantic. He falls hard for the handsome and popular Karim, who eventually notices him back, right before Mack has to relocate to Scotland. Not wanting to lose his first love, Mack asks Karim to be long-distance, but while they’re trying to keep the spark going, fearless and confident Finlay shows up on set and Mack’s world turns upside down yet again.
The group, Arizona Women of Action, which is focused on “building strong families, safe cities, & thriving kids,” is calling on its members and the public to reach out to County leaders to “explain that pronouns, affirmation, social transition lead to med transition puberty blockers & hormones. It’s a concerning position for a County to take.”
Just last week, the Norwegian Healthcare Investigation Board announced it would be revising its current guidelines regarding “gender -affirming care” for minors. The decision is a result of the country’s assessment that the care is not evidence-based.
According to Sott.com, “Under the proposed updated guidelines, the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transition-related surgery would be restricted to research contexts and no longer provided in clinical settings. Norway joins Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom in introducing greater safeguarding for children.”
In the United States Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia have banned the ideological based health care for individuals under 18.
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In 2022, Governor Doug Ducey signed Sen. Warren Petersen’s bill, S.B. 1138, which delays irreversible gender reassignment surgery until the age of 18. The bill does not prohibit puberty blocking hormones or any other hormone therapy and does not require any child to go off any prescriptions they may be taking.