Controversy unfolds at Newport Beach Library board hearing on kids' book promoting transgenderism

Trans madness was on full exhibit on April 15, when the Newport Beach Board of Library Trustees held a meeting at the Newport Beach City Hall in Newport Beach, California about a controversial book in the children’s section called ‘Melissa’.

While over 40 members of the Newport Beach community testified at the meeting, approximately two-thirds were proponents of keeping 'Melissa' in the children’s section of the library, where students from the nearby Mariners Elementary School spend their reading hours unattended by parents. The rest were concerned parents, grandparents and community members who wanted 'Melissa' either moved to the teens' section or removed from the library altogether.

Went off at the Newport Beach Board of Library Trustees meeting about a kid’s book promoting transgenderism & hormone treatment & mentioning porn.

The board voted to move the book ‘Melissa’ from the children’s section to the teens’, but we can’t stop here.

Full report coming! pic.twitter.com/DhG4FUh9wD

— Sarah Stock✝️ (@sarahcstock) April 16, 2024

“The concern that people have that these books are pornographic is nonsensical, it’s like calling a biology book pornographic because it uses the word penis. You can discuss things that relate to bodies, that relate to gender, that relate to sexuality, yes even to children, without it being pornographic. A naked body of any kind is not inherently pornographic,” said one self-described transgender parent defending the book.

The book centers around a fourth-grade boy named George who thinks he is a girl and follows his ‘gender transition.’ ‘Melissa’ has faced a lot of backlash from parents online for not only the premise of the book, but also for references to pornography and hiding internet search history from parents. It was in the top five most ‘banned’ books between 2010-2020.

The novel was originally titled ‘George’ before the title was changed to ‘Melissa’ by the author, Alex Gino, a ‘non-binary’ identifying male who apologized to the wider trans community for the ‘deadnaming’ in the original title:

“The title of my book made it seem as though it is OK to use an old name for a person when they have provided you with a different name that works better for them. I want to be clear- it isn’t.”

The book, it’s author and the excerpt I read: pic.twitter.com/qRnsATY2Tj

— Sarah Stock✝️ (@sarahcstock) April 16, 2024

Gino also authored 'Rick,' a story about an asexual student, and 'Alice Austen Lived Here,' about two ‘nonbinary’ teenagers, among other books promoting the LGBT agenda to children and pre-teens.

Library board member Lauren Kramer, who voted to keep 'Melissa' in the children’s section said, "I can agree that there is a touch of grooming in this book... hormones damage ovaries... however, we can't say if people should or should not read this book."

Although the board appeared indecisive, a motion was decided in a 3-2 vote to move 'Melissa' to the teens' section of the library. One community member told Rebel News of her relief about the board’s decision:

“I don’t think children should be exposed to such overtly sexual topics, whether it is about gender or sex. It’s all about moving the line at this point… if you actually read the book, it normalizes things like ten-year-olds looking at porn, and ten-year-olds looking up things about gender transitioning and genitalia without their parent’s knowledge, and then going to their parents for permission afterwards.”