06/06/2025

Book Bans Harm Vulnerable Youth

A growing trend seems to rely on children's sexualization to justify censorship

Many parents do not realize the danger their children can face when transphobia and homophobia guide the policies of local government. All children explore gender to some extent; it is a natural part of our social development to start recognizing and piecing together socially defined gendered habits, from which emerges a gender identity. This gender exploration is not dangerous, but many adults enforce gender roles based on birth sex while attacking any non-cisgender presentations.

I had first-hand experience with this through a parent who volunteered for schoolyard duty. In the first grade, I would wear my sweatshirt around my waist like a skirt to curtsy. One day, the yard duty person grabbed my arm and pulled me behind a building. She looked furious as she twisted my arm and spat in my face while scolding me, “What you were doing was sexual and perverted. If I ever see you doing that again, I will tell your parents!"

Later, while expressing discomfort with how my peers enforced gender roles, a counselor asked if I had any sexual feelings. Fearing additional violence and sexualization, I stopped examining my gender dysphoria till adulthood. This all happened without the knowledge of my parents, who only learned what happened when I eventually came out as transgender.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Psychology Today.