(NewsSpace.com) – There’s been a contentious debate surrounding books that address specific issues, such as transgenderism and the LGBTQ+ community. Many school districts and libraries have banned books they consider offensive or inappropriate. One state secretary candidate, however, took things one step further.
In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, on February 6, Valentina Gomez, a Republican who is running for the position of Missouri secretary of state, took a flamethrower to books she deemed offensive. The 21-second clip went viral, with more than 2.6 million views at the time of writing. The books in question are “Naked: Not Your Average Sex Encyclopedia” and “Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens.” Gomez says that when she takes the position, she will “BURN all books that are grooming, indoctrinating, and sexualizing our children.”
When I’m Secretary of State, I will 🔥BURN🔥all books that are grooming, indoctrinating, and sexualizing our children. MAGA. America First🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/m8waKi3yhP
— Valentina Gomez (@ValentinaForSOS) February 6, 2024
The video has, needless to say, garnered a lot of opinions, some in support, some against. One X user, @gullyvuhr, called upon Gomez to give a single “time historically that the people burning books were the good guys.” Another user said it’s possible to “demand parental control & consent for sex education” in public institutions without burning or advocating for the burning of books, cancellation, or censorship.
The co-authors of “Queer” said they weren’t surprised by the action due to a rise in extremism. In fact, X initially restricted visibility with a note that the content may contain hateful content, though that was removed quickly.
Gomez’s campaign director, Maicoll Gomez, responded in an emailed statement that it’s okay if people want to be gay, “Just don’t do it around children,” according to NBC News. She said there’s no need for those types of books to be in schools where children are easily influenced, and they should stick to regular subjects and “developing their people skills, getting fit,” rather than having woke ideologies pushed on them.
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