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School Board Hearing in Conroe, Texas: Reportedly Depressed and Suicidal Because of a Kiss in a Book
Photograph:
ConroeISD / YouTube
It's an impressive two-and-a-half minutes: On November 14, a young woman steps up to the lectern in Conroe and tells the Texas District School Board what Raina Telgemeier's graphic novel "Drama" supposedly triggered in her: A "single kiss" can be seen in the book, says the woman named Lanah Burhardt – and this fact alone led her to that she was "looking online for other books that brought me joy."
Soon, the woman says, there were Internet searches "that I will never forget." Her addiction had led her into depression, at times she was even suicidal. "When I was 13, I told my mother I wanted to die." Her suggestion: books from the publishing house that published »Drama« should disappear from the libraries in the district. This will protect children from "sexual obscenity." It's not about banning books. It's about protecting children."
Lanah Burkardt's lecture seems to have made an impression: According to local media, those present voted for "drama" to disappear from the district's middle schools. The Gaphic Novel had already been removed from elementary schools.
However, Lanah Burkardt apparently didn't tell some things.
As the U.S. research medium »Popular Information« reported, the alleged victim is an employee of the right-wing extremist publishing house »Brave Books«. This was pretty easy to understand, as it was written in her LinkedIn profile (which was available on Wednesday, but not on Thursday). The journalists also substantiate their calculation with a screenshot of Lanah Burkardt's profile, according to which she works as a PR coordinator at »Brave Books«.
What's more, »Brave Books« is not just any right-wing extremist publishing house, but one that decidedly wants to reach children. You can easily find out what the company is all about on its website: "I was deeply shocked by the content of so many of today's children's books," reveals founder Trent Talbot. "Together, we can change the course of the next generation." The appearance of his alleged employee was celebrated by »Brave Books« on Platform X .
The fact that right-wing extremists want to ban books from biolibraries is one thing. Another question: Why was that the case? One possible answer: The young woman's speech does not stand alone, »Drama« in particular is a book that is a thorn in the side of right-wing activists for many reasons, such as same-sex love or inclusion. In addition, the appearance fits into the social climate in parts of the USA: An example of this is the policy of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose legislation aims to withhold books on racism and LGBTQ topics from schoolchildren.
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