If one person believes something illogical, he is called a fool – but if ten million people believe the same illogical thing, it is called religion.
-Voltaire
Yup, I consider Demetrios Nicolaides, Danielle Smith, David Parker, UCP/TBA members (and their bosses in the Nazi USA Republican Regime) to be among the worst humans on earth.
@jamiewrighto3.bsky.social:
If you’re a high school teacher/librarian and you want your school to have these books, start a go-fund-me. I would gladly donate $100 today to ensure these books are available to any student that wishes to read them.Me too.
Don’t catalogue them. Keep them in a bag, and tell students.
Dale email hidden; JavaScript is required:
Going to take this opportunity to remind the defenders of age verification legislation that this is exactly what is going to happen if it comes to pass.
Queer and trans material, no matter how innocuous, will absolutely be declared “explicit” or “pornographic” and invasively age-gated.
@jeanniewarner.bsky.social:
You will probably discover, as America did, that there are less than 10 people pushing this across your entire country. Push might even be coming from across your border.
https://bsky.app/profile/prpenland.bsky.social/post/3lq3yrafb4224
@prpenland.bsky.social:
If there are two things Nazis hate, it’s LGBT+ people and educated people. This time around they seem to be a bit less anti-semitic, but I figure they’re just waiting to do a second Holocaust until they’ve consolidated a bit more power.
@gg1935.bsky.social:
Keep the government out of libraries.
@jaredwesley.ca:
It makes sense that the UCP has taken its own platform off its website. They’re not following it anymore, deferring instead to red state Republican playbooks.
Book bans are only the most recent in a series of ideas they’ve adopted to Americanize Alberta.I’ve lived in Alberta since 1982. It’s always been American (heavy oil polluted Republican), bigoted, hate and rage filled, horridly racist, cruelly raping misogynistic, anti environment, anti charter, anti public health, anti science, supremely ignorant and proud of it. I wanted to leave on my very first day in Alberta. I called my best friend in Montreal, and told here I was returning east,mnthat I could not tolerate Rule by Ignorance Hate & Bible or the reek of misogyny everywhere. She, replied, “Well then, if it’s that bad, you need to stay there and teach by example.”
A lot of oil and gas big wigs raping Alberta blind for decades and intentionally refusing to clean up, are American Republicans. Trump’s raping and legal immunity for his crimes and his hideousness and that of his admin are emboldening the hideousness in humans everywhere: Doug Ford, BC’s Eby and the NDP, the horrid racism in Quebec flamed by politicians there, Danielle Smith and her entire cowardly UCP, the genocidiares in Canada, Germany, UK, etc.
@neonnomad.bsky.social:
All you have to do is check what Victor Orbanled by Herr Hideous Harper and the anti democracy IDU, also manages Smith and Pissy Pants Whiny Poilievreis up to & you have Smith’s platform. #DanielleSmithIsATraitor
@melwoods.me:
My story (with video!) on the announcement about Alberta’s new plan to restrict school library books announced today, and how three of the four books they singled out as “inappropriate” were focused on LGBTQ2S+ themes.
If you are reporting on this and NOT including the context that:
-three of these four books are LGBTQ2S+
-they have been targeted for bans by U.S.-based organizations before
-there is a movement within Canada’s right to stoke moral panic around LGBTQ2S+ issues
Then you’re missing the big picture.
The Alberta government is bending over backwards to say this is not about banning specific books, yet Nicolaides just said “Our intent is that extreme offenders like the ones we’ve identified do not make their way into school libraries.”
So you are banning specific books!! #ableg
@TheBreakdownAB:
Will the UCP also be restricting the sales of these books to minors in books stores?
Like, granted brick and mortar book stores are harder to find, but what’s to stop a 12 year olds from hitting up a chapters?
abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli
Today Nicolaides claimed that graphic books were found in libraries after an investigation.
If the books included in the government release were in Kindergarten libraries, there’s for sure questions.
Why not release the investigation?UCP and TBA are allergic to democracy, data, reports, investigations, and most importantly, sanity and the truth.
Nicolaides when asked about the Bible in schools…
“Nono, that should be fine. We’re more worried about graphic imagery in books, text won’t be a problem because we’re beating all imagination out of kids with our curriculum!”
Basically.
@PeebsY0:
Typical bullshit from a fascist.
@MondoABx:
There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.
Ezekiel 23:20
@pbontoast1:
So they’re good with in 1 Samuel 18:25, King Saul challenges David to bring him 100 Philistine foreskins as a bride-price to marry his daughter.
Let’s teach that in school.
@bee2216:
The BIBLE is one book that anyone under the age of majority shouldn’t be reading….. if you read it, one would understand why…..
The horrifying, gruesome stuff in that book….. wow.Yup, most vile predatory book out there. But of course Christofascists will never ban it because it’s their most powerful indoctrination tool to create subservient women and girls (to be unpaid servants), and used to convince victims (usually kids in the home, church, Sunday school) that rape is acceptable and they must be silent, not scream, not squirm, not tell anyone, and oh lordy, you will be violently punished if you bleed too much afterwards.
@RaisingSqrPegs:
Has he read psalms. Some racy stuff there.
Whole book loaded with tales of incest and violence.
Meanwhile standby for UCP to take issue with Clifford.
@melwoods.me:
The very first story I wrote for Xtra as a baby freelancer in 2017 was about the impact that reading Alison Bechdel’s “Fun Home” as a young adult had on me.
Young people deserve access to queer and trans stories.and stories about rape and how vile raping humans and their religions are.
@xtramagazine.com:
Today, the Alberta government announced plans to create standards for K-12 school library books in the province, flagging titles including Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer” and Alison Bechdel’s “Fun Home” as “extremely graphic” and “inappropriate.”
@evaholland.bsky.social:
I’ll add that this Herald story on the subject is an utter failure, giving the government a platform to make claims about these books with no further research whatsoever. It might as well be a press release.
@inamac73.bsky.social:
Ban the bible then. Full of rape, incest, misogyny and general nonsense
@jim-selover.bsky.social:
Starts with “Gender Queer” and ends with Plato’s Republic, but oddly skips past the extremely graphic Bible.
@battlehork.bsky.social:
Alberta is Canada’s Florida and/or Texas
@cgriwkowsky.bsky.social:
Every single one is either by an LGBTQ+ author or has LGBTQ+ content cited as the reason for the challenge.
@jenstden.bsky.social:
It’s always the same three books. Without fail.
@villanoiiidave.bsky.social:
So the one who is dumber than a bag of hammers is going to pick the books for eduma-cation of the young? #playstupidgameswinstupidprizesAlberta
@allhaileris.bsky.social:
We have to remove the conservative cancer from our societies by any means necessary.
@cgriwkowsky.bsky.social:
Received a joint statement from the Calgary Board of Education and Edmonton Public Schools chairs. Both boards were named in the news release and were surprised because the minister did not raise concerns before the news conference. #ABleg #ABpoli #ABedu
@senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social:
I don’t know the other three books on the list, but Alison Bechdel’s brilliant, poignant graphic novel Fun Home is a modern classic. Is it appropriate for elementary students? Well, no. But for a sensitive high school student? Absolutely. @AlisonBechdel is a legend.
Also? On reflection? Fun Home might be wholly appropriate for a bright questioning queer pre-teen looking for some kind of insight into their own lives. It’s a really important work, by the brilliant woman who literally put the Bechdel in the Bechdel Test.
@alisonbechdel.bsky.social
(I am also a tad perplexed at how a graphic novel can be sexually explicit. It’s been awhile since I read Fun Home, but I don’t remember anything pornographic! They made it into a Tony-award-winning musical, for goodness sake.) #ableg #abed #abpoli #censorship #LGBQT
@willparker.bsky.social:
There’s a scene in it that’s a bit explicit but essential to the plot/character development, and certainly not pornographic.
My sister gave me this book shortly before she came out (in her 40s). I think maybe to test the waters.
If she had read it as a teen, it might have saved years of heartache
@ryanhumphrey.bsky.social:
“..appropriate for a bright questioning queer…”
Unfortunately that is their definition of pornography. It’s not about the specific content, it’s about who the content is for
In groups and out groups
@shaunmckinnon.bsky.social:
This quote is very concerning for me:
“The ‘extremely graphic and age-inappropriate’ content … was found at some Kindergarten to Grade 9 schools…”
These libraries presumably have sections… or are they saying that 15 year olds should be content-limited to media suitable for 5 year olds?
@senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social:
So it would appear. But of course, there are all kinds of great works of literature appropriate for teens but not little ones. Are we going to ban MacBeth or Hamlet or Othello because they feature graphic acts of violence wholly unsuitable for Grade 2 students?
@albertandave.bsky.social:
Let the current kleptocracy know about their censorship.
Don’t let them distract you from their #CorruptCare scandal!
NeverVoteConservative
https://your.alberta.ca/school-library-materials/surveys/slme
@thinktanking.bsky.social:
Nothing in those books match the depravity found in the Bible. Ban the Bible in all schools
Take Back Alberta controls the UCP. It and the UCP contain many hate-filled unchristian anti health anti education anti science anti women and girls Christofascist bigots. Religion controls much too much in Alberta, which leads to horrific abuse of kids at home, at church and elsewhere in their communities.
Books, including explicit books, are vital in schools to protect kids from the endless sexual and murderous predators out there, notably the religious ones like too priests and leaders of churches, and those in positions of authority, like lawyers, police, those caring for kids, etc.
Less prudishness in parents, churches, politicians and administrations, notably those controlled and or infiltrated by Take Back Alberta bigots, ensures less rape, sexual assaults, pregnancies, and shaming of kids.
A few comments to the article below:
Leigh Guy:
I took the time to research each of these books. “Blankets” is listed as being the most controversial as it deals with sex abuse.A vital book for all ages to read and have access to. The younger kids need to be taught about sexual abuse and rape – notably in the home. Teachers or school nurses can assist kids reading such books (if billionaire and oil greedy Danielle Smith leaves any teachers and nurses for Albertans after she completes her vile plundering of all things public, like health care and education that she, Take Back Alberta and other Christofacists love to destroy, raid to give the riches to their rich raping pals.)
I knew nothing about sex or rape when I was raped repeatedly, violently, at the age of 8 in my home, by my dad’s best friend, a married Christian man. If I had had access to “Blankets” in my school I would have read it; I am an avid reader. I would have had the knowledge to try to avoid and or stop the rapes, I am sure of it.
I bet the Take Back Albertan and UCP Klans that want to take away such vital education books for Alberta kids, do so precisely to enable rapes in Christian homes, churches, and communities. So this article is somewhat misleading as K-9 includes children from kindergarten to grade 9. If anyone hast studied or been educated in age development, would these books be appropriate for a kindergartner or even maybe a grade sixer, no most likely not, however any 3 of these books are quite acceptable for a grade 8 and grade 9 student and probably for grade 7 student. It would be a better experience if the parent was open to discussion of the book. Any issues with these books could easily be solved by providing age suggested sections in the library.
John Paul:
The gap toothed inbred RWNJs get all worked up with anything that contains sexuality.
Well, except when it is in their little fairy tale bible. That rag shouldn’t be on any shelve or within 10kms of any children.
Oliver Reinhardt:
Extremely graphic. Like the abortion posters that Adriana LaGrange ex minister of education parades around at her “pro life” rallies? Or the bible with its graphic depictions of rape and incest?
UCP conspiracy concocted the same day teachers take a strike authorization vote. All intended to demonize teachers and deflect from their failure to fund education even to the Canadian average. Worst provincial government in Canadian history.
Calgary Harold:
The surgery outsourcing scandal getting a bit hot for the UCP, so go to the MAGA well for some distracting gaslighting. David Parker christofascist approved.
Peter P:
Texas has been facing significant issues with censorship in public libraries. A new Texas law requires booksellers to rate public school library books based on their depictions of or references to sex. Books rated as “sexually explicit” must be removed from school library shelves, leading to increased book bans in Texas schools.
Guess where Dan and Demetrios get their agenda from. Republicans.
Same as health, electricity and of course, education.
Mas Mer:
… The adult section of the library is just too enticing, what with all its bright colours and books on physics, economics, and the irresistable “for Dummies” series. I’ll never forget the day I saw two children come to blows over the last copy of Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit and realized no…oh no…teaching them to read was a grave mistake.
Mark Friesen to Mas Mer:
Excellent post that lays bare the “MAGA lite”, riling up the base motivations of the UCP creating this “controversy”.
A book about sexual abuse is extremely important for teens to have available, particularly if they come from a conservative home that forbids open discussion about the topic.Also extremely important for younger kids to have access to too. Rapists target even babies. The more sex educated, and the younger, the less power over kids rapists have, notably religious rapists.
Charles Ives:
The parallels with what has become trump’s America do not go unnoticed. Right down to the specific books that our Education Minister was seeking out.
“In October 2006, a resident of Marshall, Missouri, attempted to have Blankets and Fun Home by Alison Bechdel removed from the city’s public library.[12] Supporters of the books’ removal characterized them as “pornography” and expressed concern that they would be read by children.[13] Marshall Public Library Director Amy Crump defended the books as having been well-reviewed in “reputable, professional book review journals,” and characterized the removal attempt as a step towards “the slippery slope of censorship”.[12][13] On October 11, 2006, the library’s board appointed a committee to create a materials selection policy, and removed Blankets and Fun Home from circulation until the new policy was approved.[14][15] The committee “decided not to assign a prejudicial label or segregate [the books] by a prejudicial system”,[16] and presented a materials selection policy to the board.[17] On March 14, 2007, the Marshall Public Library Board of Trustees voted to return both Blankets and Fun Home to the library’s shelves.[18] In 2021, book ban requests started to grow quickly in The United States, Blankets has been repeatedly targeted for banning and removal from schools and libraries.[19][20]”I believe it’s so heavily targeting for banning there and now in Alberta, because rape and sexual assault of kids by Christian men in the home runs rampant in USA and Canada! Raping men want to be able to keep raping kids thus want them to remain ignorant about sex like I was. Early education about rape and sex, would have likely spared me horrific harms that I continue to suffer from daily and will until I die. DO NOT BAN ANY BOOKS from school libraries, except the misogynists’ propaganda book, the Bible, and other rape religion texts. The Bible is not the word of God, it’s the word of raping abusive women-hating men who wanted to indoctrinate kids young to be regularly raped, and to force women and girls into lives of servitude, abuse and rape throughout their lives, believing they are lesser than men, and have no rights to their own bodies and lives. BAN THE BIBLE FROM ALL SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL LIBRARIES! If parents want to abuse and propagandize their kids with that dreadful book, they keep copies in the home, and or get copies for their kids in churches and multitudes of other places.
These sound like they might be the sort of books (although the above two are more graphic novels . . . meaning a combination of text and ‘comic’ style illustrations) more suited to slightly older adolescents. I would hope like hell that they abandon any idea of purging things from anything beyond the very earliest grades.
And if the consideration is ever public libraries? Unless something breaking a law, leave them the f alone.
K M:
Kids SHOULD KNOW That MOLESTATION IS WRONG and They Can Get the HELP They Need!!!)!
John Paul TO K M:
Easy solution, don’t send them to church and the molestation chances drop significantly.
@melwoods.me:
Let’s be clear: three of the four books flagged by the Alberta government today as containing “inappropriate content” feature queer and trans people.
This is moral panic.
This is the same blueprint of book bans in the US.
And this is happening in Canada.
Most of these books have been regularly targeted by anti-LGBTQ2S+ book ban crusades across America in recent years. This is not a “new” problem and it is not a “problem” at all. It is about moral panic and it is another instance of Canadian conservatives parroting what’s happening in the US.
‘Extremely graphic’ sexual content found in books at K-9 schools, province says, As a result, the provincial government is asking Albertans for feedback about what they believe is acceptable in school libraries by Steven Wilhelm, Scott Strasser, May 26, 2025, Calgary Herald
Books found in some school libraries in Calgary and Edmonton had “explicit sexual content,” said the provincial government, as it aims to crack-down on materials with inappropriate themes.
The “extremely graphic and age-inappropriate” content was found at some Kindergarten to Grade 9 schools and high schools across the Edmonton Public School Board and Calgary Board of Education, according to the province.
Initial reports of the books came from concerned parents last November, according to the provincial minister of education and childcare.
“I sat down with the parents, and they proceeded to show me files with multiple examples of what I would describe as being incredibly inappropriate passages,” said minister Demetrios Nicolaides in an interview Saturday.
“I was completely shocked and taken aback,” he said.
Most concerning of all were “extremely inappropriate” graphic images that display sexual acts, said Nicolaides.
Four graphic novels were named in a media release from the province: Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe; Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel; Blankets, by Craig Thompson; and Flamer, by Mike Curato
However, those were just the “most severe” cases, according to Nicolaides.
“We didn’t have an opportunity to look at the entire list. There (were) maybe dozens and dozens of books that were flagged by some of these parents,” he said.
Some of the books contained mature content such as sexual activities, sexual nudity, nudity, molestation, profanity, suicidal commentary, alcohol use, drug use, derogatory terms, violence and self-harm.
Several excerpts from each graphic novel were shown in a news release from the province, depicting the above themes in different instances.
It’s unclear how long the books have been in some schools. In a direct message, Nicolaides’ press secretary confirmed the books were found in a total of 57 schools across Calgary and Edmonton, but did not disclose which ones
“I cannot think of any rationale or reason why they should be available in a school for a child,” said Nicolaides. “The biggest concern of mine, is that many of these books exist in elementary schools.”
The province has yet to have conversations with the school districts but will this week according to Nicolaides.
“The big questions that I hope we can get some more clarity on, is how exactly did these end up in our school libraries?” he said.
Currently the province provides voluntary guidelines for material in school libraries, but Nicolaides notes individual school boards have their own policies in place.
“Given what we’ve discovered here, we will have to put some more guardrails in place at a provincial level to help ensure that this type of material doesn’t find its way into schools again,” he said.
The province will conduct public engagement to get feedback on new standards to ensure the “age-appropriateness” of materials available to students in school libraries.
Through an online survey, Albertans can provide input about what they believe is acceptable for school library collections.
Any changes would not affect materials at public libraries run by municipalities across the province.
“This isn’t about censorship . . . anybody should be able to explore information on any topic that’s of interest to them,” said Nicolaides. “However, there’s a line there between age-appropriate material that provides children and students with information about topics versus inappropriate material.”
Their goal is to have the new policies come into effect by this September, in time for the 2025-26 school year.
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Marian Dalisna:
Fahrenheit 451 – with the UCP banning books and giving free rein to disease, as they try to hide the skimming of hundreds of millions from our pockets in AHS fraud.
@theintellectualist.bsky.social:
Texas Passes School Prayer Bill — A Church-State Breaking Point
In this video, we explore Texas’s new school prayer bill—touted as liberty by some, condemned as theocratic overreach by others.
Who gets to decide how kids pray in school?
@floralashes.bsky.social:
(1) Fuck you fascists.
2) “Jewish … translations of the Ten Commandments” You mean the original Hebrew???
(3) Y’all realize nobody even agrees on what the ‘Ten Commandments’ are?!? They’re not even commandments in Judaism, they’re ten sayings/things.
@runninglibrarian.bsky.social:
I worked in bookstores while writing my Theology dissertation before I became a librarian. Fun to watch customers who came to buy a “bible” when I asked Christian or Jewish? And then, Catholic or Protestant? And then – any specific version? I was in my glory.
@jc-thomas.bsky.social:
So they want to post the rules that they are blatantly not following? What, as a way to highlight their evilness?
