This video isn’t for my regular viewers — you already know the facts.

This is for you to share with people who’ve binged too much CBC and Global News. The people who fell for the “book ban” fairy tale — including acclaimed Canadian author Margaret Atwood, who apparently decided to pen an op-ed based on teachers' union talking points. She claimed Alberta Premier Danielle Smith “banned” her book, The Handmaid's Tale.

It’s not censorship to keep pornographic erotica out of the hands of little kids. Every non-pervert knows that. But there are lots of perverts out there, it would seem, and they are being helped along by media liars.

So, this whole thing needs explaining again.

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Alberta’s government took the most reasonable step imaginable in May: keep graphic sexual content — some of it too obscene to show adults at a press conference — out of school libraries meant for children.

Here is what actually happened:

First, the education minister issues a simple standard: remove materials with illustrated sexual acts from school libraries. Not Shakespeare. Not Orwell. Visual sex acts — out before the next school year, please. 

The minister’s office then sends clarifications and line-by-line corrections to reporters: no, puberty/menstruation/breastfeeding content isn’t restricted; the focus is illustrated sexual acts. Media had the documents — and so did I. We all had them early.

But the media ran fiction anyway.

Then, the Edmonton Public School Board detonates a disgraceful stunt: instead of following the obvious intent, the EPSB yanks 200+ titles, including 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

They knew those weren’t targeted. They did it anyway to manufacture “book ban” headlines.

After that, there was the pause and rewrite. Following the EPSB stunt and subsequent media hysteria — something Premier Smith called vicious compliance and playing games — the province paused the implementation to make sure the law is clear, so that even the dumbest educator and creepiest sex activist can understand.

Translation: Alberta didn’t ban classics. Alberta banned garbage. Smut.

Porn is out: any book with illustrated sexual acts is removed. Classics are safe: mature themes in text stay on shelves. Parents get transparency, as schools publish library and classroom lists and notify families, just as I requested during the May press conference.

The provincial policy comes with age guidance, too.

For those in grades K–9: No explicit or non-explicit sexual content. Puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding, handholding, hugging, kissing? Allowed.

For older students in grades 10–12: Non-explicit sexual content may be accessible if developmentally appropriate. Explicit images? Still banned.

So, here are my mythbusting answers you can share with the headline-only focused person in your life.

Myth #1: “They banned puberty and menstruation books.”
Nope. The order explicitly says puberty, menstruation, breastfeeding, handholding, hugging, and kissing are not restricted.

Myth #2: “They banned LGBTQ books.”
No. The rule is viewpoint-neutral: if it shows illustrated sex acts, it’s out — regardless of theme or identity.

Myth #3: “This is censorship.”
Curating a public school library so graphic images of sex aren’t in K–12 stacks is called protection, not censorship. Written classics remain.

Myth #4: “Alberta banned classics.”
The only people who “banned” classics were the creeps at the Edmonton Public School Board with their 200-book spite purge. The province’s clarification put those books back where they belong.