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Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Alberta government orders removal of sexually explicit books from school libraries
Alberta's government has introduced new province-wide standards for school libraries , mandating the removal of books containing explicit sexual content from K-12 schools by October 1. The move, announced through a ministerial order by Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, comes after months of growing debate over certain graphic novels available in public school libraries. 'This is not about banning books,' Nicolaides said. 'Our actions to ensure that materials in school libraries don't expose children to sexual content were never about banning books. These new standards are to ensure school boards have clear guidance to ensure age-appropriate access while reflecting the values and priorities of Albertans.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo The order prohibits materials with 'a detailed and clear depiction of a sexual act,' including masturbation, genital contact, and penetration. Non-explicit sexual content will only be available to students in Grades 10-12 if deemed developmentally appropriate. Students in Grade 9 and below are not allowed access to such materials. Books specifically named by the province as inappropriate include: Live Events Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Blankets by Craig Thompson Flamer by Mike Curato These books were found in both elementary and high schools under the Calgary Board of Education and the Edmonton Public School Board. The government says materials about puberty, menstruation, and breastfeeding are not restricted at any grade level. Religious books, such as the Bible, are exempt from the new order. School boards must now: Remove all books with explicit sexual content by October 1, 2025 Publicly post their library catalogues Ensure staff supervise students' access to library resources Align their policies with the new standards by January 1, 2026 No additional funding has been allocated to support schools in implementing these changes. The Calgary Board of Education responded, saying it 'already has rigorous processes' for evaluating library materials. The Calgary Catholic School District also stated it 'will align with the new mandated standards.' Critics, including public librarians and teacher unions, argue this is a political move targeting LGBTQ+ content. 'This is a ban in all but name,' said Peter Bailey, CEO of St. Albert Public Library. An online government survey that received over 77,000 valid responses showed 42 percent of Albertans supported banning sexually explicit content outright, while 22 percent favored limiting it based on grade level. The policy does not apply to classroom materials selected by teachers or municipal libraries located within school buildings.
Edmonton Journal
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Alberta announces ban on explicit sexual content in school libraries
Article content There is no additional government funding for school boards alongside the new policy. Article content The new standards will apply to public, separate, francophone, charter, and independent schools, but not to municipal libraries located within schools or to materials chosen by teachers as learning resources. Article content 'Our primary concern from the very beginning has been around material that's really graphic and around sexual content, and making sure that it's age appropriate,' Nicolaides told Postmedia in an interview last month. Article content More than 77,000 Albertans submitted responses to the province's survey on establishing provincewide standards, with a majority saying they were not supportive of that move. Article content The survey cited four books as examples of materials that the ministry found objectionable for children: Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, Craig Thompson's Blankets, and Mike Curato's Flamer, all of which deal with 2SLGBTQIA+ themes, and have sexual imagery and language. Article content Article content Responses from parents of school-aged children made up just under half of all responses to the survey with 'interested Albertans' representing the next biggest cohort at one-third of replies. Article content Nicolaides has said the policy is in reaction concerns he had heard from parents 'for quite some time.' Article content A freedom of information request from Postmedia seeking correspondence from Albertans objecting to certain books in schools produced fewer than five emails going back to the spring of 2023. Article content The Christian lobby group Action4Canada has claimed credit for 'behind-the-scenes' lobbying of the Alberta government. Article content Nicolaides confirmed ministry officials met with the group last fall, but downplayed the impact of those meetings. Article content 'They had brought some materials to our attention so that helped to get a better understanding of the nature of materials that was available in schools. But, you know, this is a topic that I've talked with many Albertans about.' Article content Article content — With files from Cindy Tran and Steve Sandor Article content Article content
Calgary Herald
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Library officials, education minister meet over book controversy
A delegation from the Library Association of Alberta met Tuesday morning with provincial Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, warning that the government is moving into dangerous territory if it dictates what books should be weeded out of school libraries. Article content 'Our key message was that we feel that decisions about what belongs in school libraries and learning commons are best made by trained educators and librarians,' said Laura Winton, past president of the Library Association of Alberta and the organization's lead on this issue. 'Obviously, he's not in agreement with our viewpoint.' Article content Article content Article content In May Nicolaides said the government would be consulting the public about possible standards that could be implemented when it came to books that are available in school libraries. Four books were used as examples of materials that the ministry found objectionable due to their sexually explicit content: Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, Craig Thompson's Blankets, and Flamer by Mike Curato. The four books that were highlighted by Nicolaides deal with 2SLGBTQIA+ themes. Article content Article content After the education minister made the announcement, conservative Christian Canadian lobby group Action4Canada said that members of its Calgary chapter had met with Nicolaides and had highlighted the four books in question. Nicolaides confirmed he had met with Action4Canada, but said his decision to look at placing standards on what can and can't go in school libraries was based on wider feedback he received from parents. Article content Article content Winton said that if Nicolaides goes through with a ministerial order, which she said was discussed in their meeting, Alberta would be the only province where the government set limits on what goes in school libraries. Article content Article content She said if school libraries are asked to do collection reviews, it will tax a system that is already short-staffed. Article content 'It's really intensive to do a collection review. Weeding is time-intensive and requires trained staff.' Article content Nicolaides said he and the librarians disagreed on many points. Article content 'School boards and parents have been clear, they do not want these types of books on a library shelf where a young student could access them, full stop,' he said in a statement issued Wednesday. 'I'm disappointed the Library Association is advocating against the involvement of parents. Article content 'During my meeting with the Library Association of Alberta, I asked them if they could provide me with evidence-based, peer-reviewed research and literature that defends exposing young students to oral sex, pedophilia, child molestation, self harm and other extremely sexually explicit material. They had no answer and no evidence to back their claims.'
Edmonton Journal
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Lorne Gunter: Schools have a duty to remove, or strictly control, sexually graphic content in books
Article content The four in question are Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, Blankets by Craig Thompson, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and Flamer by Mike Curato. Before you make up you mind about whether these are appropriate for school kids, check out their contents on the website set up by the Alberta government. (
Calgary Herald
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Christian conservative group Action4Canada lobbied for review of books in Alberta schools
Article content The president of the Library Association of Alberta believes a Christian lobby group may have played a role in the province's targeting of 'sexually explicit' books found in school libraries. Article content Article content Laura Winton pointed to posts on the Action4Canada website, where the group pats itself on the back for its 'behind the scenes' lobbying of the Alberta government over books its members find objectionable. Article content Article content Winton said that Action4Canada is known to contact librarians across the province over books that the group finds offensive. Article content Article content Earlier this week, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the government would be consulting the public in order to create some standards when it comes to explicit material in school libraries. Four books were used as examples of materials that the ministry found objectionable for children: Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, Craig Thompson's Blankets, and Flamer by Mike Curato. The books deal with 2SLGBTQIA+ themes, and have sexual imagery and language. Article content Tanya Gaw, Action4Canada's founder, said members of her team met with Nicolaides in the fall of 2024. This was confirmed by the education ministry, but both parties differ on the effectiveness of the meeting. Article content Gaw said Action4Canada sent binders to Nicolaides and Premier Danielle Smith which outlined the harms caused by the books in question, and also warned against the adoption of SOGI 123 by Alberta schools, Article content Article content SOGI 123 is a Canada-wide organization that makes programming and resources available to schools in the areas of inclusivity and positive acceptance of gender identities. Article content Article content 'We wanted to show the harm and risks that children are being put into,' said Gaw. 'When he (Nicolaides) saw the binder, he was genuinely shocked. We have the right to be concerned about what our children are being exposed to. We opened the minister's eyes to this.' Article content Nicolaides said his decision was influenced by what he'd been hearing from parents around the province. Article content 'No, we had been hearing from parents,' he said. 'I've been hearing from parents for quite some time, in fact, since I became minister, about items in school libraries that were of concern.' Article content When asked if Action4Canada's lobbying efforts had any impact at all, Nicolaides had this to say: 'I'm unsure. I mean, they had brought some materials to our attention so that that helped to get a better understanding of the nature of materials that was available in schools. But, you know, this is a topic that I've talked with many Albertans about.'
