I was appalled when I read that Canyons School District, the school district I attended only a few months ago, was reviewing and considering removal of certain LGBTQ literature from school libraries for promoting sexual content. I graduated from Corner Canyon High School last May. During my sophomore year, I came out as gay. What should have been a moment of breathtaking freedom and relief was, in reality, heartbreaking as I lost friends and experienced discrimination from my classmates. Throughout this whole agonizing process of self-discovery, literature was one of my only respites.
Through books, I was able to define my identity as a gay man and learn that others had experienced the same trials I had and that it was possible not only to survive, but to thrive as an out and proud queer person. Coming out in high school puts LGBTQ students in an incredibly vulnerable position, as they are subject to bullying, familial pressures and social isolation, while simultaneously navigating their newfound identities. For many LGBTQ students, access to LGBTQ literature is a lifeline as they seek connection to their identity. Recent pushes to review and ban certain LGBTQ books from Canyons District libraries can only be described as an attempt to cut off LGBTQ students from some of the few validating resources they have access to. It is critical that LGBTQ students have access to books that reflect who they are. I cannot imagine where I would be now if I was denied access to the books that helped me understand who I am and where I belong in a world that, too often, rejects people like me.
Mason Porter Hughes, Draper