Summary

• Outrage over Gender Queer is out of context; the graphic novel is meant for teen readers, not young children, as the author intended.
• John Oliver points out misconceptions about the book's content, defending its relevance to teens' experiences.
• Author Maia Kobabe agrees that the book is not for kids, but important for teens going through similar struggles.

Maia Kobabe's controversial graphic novel Gender Queer has garnered support from Last Week Tonight's John Oliver. Gender Queer has been making headlines across the U.S. as one of the most banned books in the country. As of 2024, the autobiography of Kobabe's life has been banned in numerous school districts, with its removal from public libraries being discussed as well. In the heat of this debate, a prominent talk show host has thrown his hat into the ring to discuss why it needs to stay on the shelves.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver's May 5, 2024 broadcast features a segment where the titular host discusses the rise of book bans in public libraries. Some of the things he touches on include the lack of actually reading the material people want to ban and improperly labeling which books are deemed inappropriate. However, one clip from the segment features him discussing Gender Queer, mentioning how outrage over the book has led to it being pulled from libraries in schools, and now public institutions, for various reasons.

WARNING: This video includes harsh language that may be inappropriate for some. Viewer discretion is advised. The segment on Gender Queer begins at 16:16.

It's absolutely enlightening to see a late night television host like John Oliver speak up for Kobabe's book. However, it's the insight he brings into why the reaction is overblown that makes his take on the controversy even more interesting.

Out-of-Context Outrage Can Be Harmful to Various Books Like Gender Queer

John Oliver Discusses the Primary Cause for the Graphic Novel's Countless Bans

The main point Oliver makes in his argument is that the outrage surrounding Gender Queer is taken completely out of context. Yes, there are mature moments in the story involving sexual content, but it's a topic that is all too relevant for the book's primary age demographic: teenagers. He even mentions that "some books aren't appropriate for 5-year-olds, but might be if you're 16, because those are two very different phases of life."

On top of this, Oliver also discusses how the illustrations are being misconstrued by parents as a children's book, despite it being a graphic novel. The thing is, Gender Queer is primarily shelved in the adult sections of libraries, as shown by a clip in the segment, because it's not meant for kids. He even goes as far to say that "if a child finds it, it's because they're somewhere that they're not supposed to be," which isn't the book's fault at all. Out-of-context outrage like this has led to Gender Queer being banned for various reasons in both school libraries and public libraries, even when it's placed in the appropriate sections, and it can set a harmful precedent.

Even Gender Queer's Author Agrees It's Not for Kids

Maia Kobabe Always Intended Eir Book to Be for Older Teens and Above

"When writing Gender Queer, Kobabe never wanted the book to be seen by young readers because this personal story would connect far more with teens going through similar struggles at an awkward stage in life."

Perhaps the most important part of Oliver's segment, though, is a clip of Maia Kobabe from 2023 as e speaks out against book banning (Kobabe uses the gender-neutral "e/ey" pronouns). E mentions that e agrees with people who say that it's not meant for kids, but rather "it is appropriate for teen readers" because of its relatable messages about growing up and going through puberty. When writing Gender Queer, Kobabe never wanted the book to be seen by children because this personal story would connect far more with teens going through similar struggles at an awkward stage in life.

Plus, e also mentions that books for various ages are shelved at libraries all the time. "Not every book is for every reader," Kobabe says, "but they still need to be available." This is the main point behind John Oliver's segment. Gender Queer has become the poster child for recent attempts at pulling similar LGBTQ+ graphic novels for young adults, but John Oliver and Last Week Tonight's support for Kobabe and eir novel shows that the outrage has been taken far out of context, missing the point of eir story entirely.

Source: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver