The full lists of the books targeted for removal from two Alberta school districts have been published, and both feature a slew of familiar LGBTQ2S+ titles.
Last week, journalist Jeremy Appel of the independent newsletter The Orchard published the results of a freedom of information request filed to the Calgary Board of Education and Edmonton Public School Board asking for full lists of which books were removed from school libraries.
The call for book removal came after Premier Danielle Smith’s Alberta government introduced new policies last year, mandating what kinds of books can be on the shelves of Alberta schools. Under the policy, school districts are required to ban “any explicit visual depiction of a sexual act” from their school libraries. The policy came about following advocacy from several far-right social conservative groups.
We break down what you need to know about the titles spotlighted for removal by Alberta’s two largest school districts.
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