Appeal plans over classification of Gender Queer book over ‘paedophile drawings’

A controversial book subject to school bans in the USA for a paedophile drawing has been green lighted by Australian censors — but an Australian conservative blogger is calling for the decision to be overturned.

Conservative blogger Bernard Gaynor has been campaigning against inappropriate pornography in public library books.

One of America’s most banned books has been given the green light to remain in Australia’s libraries — but there are plans to launch an appeal against the decision.

The Australian Classification Board has just given an unrestricted rating to the graphic memoir Gender Queer, after complaints to police the book had not been classified despite sexual illustrations.

The controversial book, which has graphic illustrations of masturbation, oral sex and an Ancient Greek style paedophile encounter, has enraged conservatives in the US, where 49 school districts have banned it from libraries.

Conservative Australian blogger Bernard Gaynor said he would appeal a decision of the board last week to give the book an unrestricted rating along with a consumer advice rating of M — not recommended for readers under 15 years.

Gender Queer, by non-binary author Maia Kobabe, is already stocked by many public libraries across Australia.

The book Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe has been classified by the Australian Classification Board as Unrestricted.

Mr Gaynor said the book clearly depicted in its imagery a graphic drawing done in the style of an Ancient Greek pottery illustration, of a scene of pedophilic sexual activity between a man and his student, a minor under 18.

In its judgment, the classification board stated that: “The Board notes that on page 134 there is a highly-stylised drawing of a work of Ancient Greek art depicting a sexual encounter between an Ancient Greek scholar and his student.

The book Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe has been classified by the Australian Classification Board as Unrestricted.

“However, given the historical context of the artwork, the narrative context of the publication and the stylisation of the imagery, the Board is of the opinion that this image does not depict a child under 18 years in a way that offends against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that it should not be classified.”

University of South Australia senior lecturer and expert in child safety and pornography Dr Lesley-anne Ey said the image clearly depicted a child.

“The image in question portrays Ancient Greek art depicting a sexual encounter between an Ancient Greek scholar and his student, engaging in sexual activity with a child is illegal,” she said.

“The risk of allowing this image to remain in circulation in a book aimed at teenagers and young adults is that it normalises adult-child sexual relationships.”

Mr Gaynor called the pedophilic illustration was “horrific and highly disturbing” and said he intended to appeal the decision.

“Gender Queer is not a text on Ancient Greek art. Instead, it shows its author, Maia Kobabe, fantasising and masturbating to images of paedophilia,” he said.

“There is clearly a serious problem when books showing pictures of pedophilic fantasies appear on children’s shelves of public libraries across Australia.

“More broadly, this scandal shows that public libraries across Australia are refusing to submit books for classification before distributing them to the public, including children.

“I warn all parents to be aware that many thousands of comic-style picture books in public libraries aimed at minors contain sexually explicit material, including images of children engaged in sexual activity.”
Equality Australia has been approached for comment.