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Censorship & The Wendy King Story
The Wendy King Story is an overt case of censorship that, in retrospect, is unusually straightforward. The ongoing stuggles of Little Sister's Emporium to import titles for its primarlily gay and lesbian clientele have resulted in an exhausting and complex string of legal cases against Canada Customs. As well, ongoing efforts of some parents in Surrey to prevent their children from having access to children's books in Surrey school libraries that provide positive depictions of same-sex couples as parents have resulted in a series of on-again, off-again legal challenges. The B.C. Intellectual Freedom Committee has prepared a partial list of other titles and readings that have been 'banned' or prevented from sale in British Columbia. These include:
-- Nobody Has to be a Kid Forever by Hila Colman and Blubber and Then Again, Maybe I Won't both by Judy Blume. Recalled from Castlegar elementary schools after complaints from a mother that they were "soft-core pornography" and "filth". [Schools Recall 'Teen' Books, Vancouver Sun 25 February 1981, p. A10]
-- In 1983, a poetry reading by John Lane was cancelled by the Prince George public library because a swear word was found in one of his poems. [Prince George Citizen 25 October 1986]
-- Boys and Sex by Wardell Baxter Pomeroy. Challenged in 1984 by Julia Serup, a parent of a child in a Prince George school, due to its content of "deviant sexual activity." The book was removed from the school library in April 1984, but was later returned. [Peace Arch News (White Rock) 14 January 1995]
-- Breaking Up by Norma Klein. In October 1984, the Vernon School Board ordered the removal of all copies of this book from junior secondary school because parents objected to references to female masturbation and lesbianism, and descriptions of male sex organs and sex scenes. [Book Pulled from School Following Sex Complaint, Vancouver Sun 11 October 1984, p. B7]
-- After releasing the New Reality: Politics of Restraint in B.C., New Star Books claimed it was being discriminated against in terms of its access to provincial lottery revenues because funds could no longer subsidize books on "economic, political and social history and comment." Two years later, this lottery fund rule was revoked. [Censorship Alive and Kicking, The News (Burnaby) 4 March 1992]
-- In 1986, a lay preacher complained to Coquitlam public library that a children's picture book contained "vampirism".[Protecting the Right to Read, Coquitlam Now 2 March 1994]
-- The Advocate. Banned by Canada Customs in 1986 enroute to Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium. [Little Sister's Loses Customs Appeal, The Vancouver Sun 25 June 1998, p. B1]
-- Dzelarhons: Mythology of the Northwest Coast by Anne Cameron. Seized on June 4, 1986 by Canada Customs while being imported by Little Sisters. One story of this collection is the retelling of a legend where a woman marries a bear and has two children. Customs seized it on the basis that it contained "bestiality"; they later released it. [Customs Releases Bear' Book, Globe and Mail 26 June 1986]
-- The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Robin Muller. In February 1987, there was a demonstration outside the New Westminster Public Library during the writer-illustrator's talk to students in grades two and four. Protesters felt the book taught about witchcraft and black magic. Due to the protest, he chose another book to talk about. [Foe of Occult Raps Talk by Writer, The Vancouver Sun 20 February 1987, p. C5]
-- Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein and Edmund White. Prohibited by Canada Customs, until it was declared not obscene by the courts on May 3, 1987. [Freedom to Read Week Kit 1996 A Chronology of Freedom of Expression in Canada, Book and Periodical Council, p. 4]
-- The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Weise. In 1987 this book (which was originally published in 1938) was removed from use in Vancouver schools because it was seen as stereotypical and derogatory. Eric Wong, the School Board's consultant on race relations defended the decision by saying that, "the time we have our students in schools, we role-model a lot of things. Education isn't just random, you have to organize it. If you use a book like that, it's going to have a profound effect on children, not just on the majority group, but also on the minority group." [Banned: Some Throw Book at Censors, Vancouver Sun 16 June 1987, p. B1]
-- Wheels for Walking by Sandra Richmond. This book about an 18-year-old girl who becomes quadriplegic after a ski accident was removed from Abbotsford schools in 1987 because it uses strong language and has sexual content. [Banned: Some Throw Book at Censors, Vancouver Sun 16 June 1987, p. B1]
-- Earth Child Series by Jean Auel. In 1988, books in this series were removed from the Williams Lake School (District 27) library due to passages that were felt to be sexually explicit. [Peace Arch News (White Rock) 27 February 1988]
-- Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer. In 1988, a request was made to the Central Okanagan School Board to remove this book from secondary school libraries, on a charge that it was pornographic. The Board refused. [Out With the Old, Not Porno, The Province 25 March 1988, p. 35]
-- For All the Wrong Reasons by John Neufield. Removed by the Central Okanagan School Board. A reason given was that it was "dated, not pornographic." [Out With the Old, Not Porno, The Province 25 March 1988, p. 35]
-- Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. Canadian Customs placed an import block on this novel, six months after it had been for sale in Canada. They decided that it was not hate literature as defined by the Criminal Code, and rescinded the ban within 48 hours. Canada became the only western democracy to detain this book. Coles bookstores pulled all the copies of this novel from their shelves. [Rushdie's Book Hard to Find, Nanaimo Daily Free Press, 22 February 1989; The Vancouver Sun, 22 February 1989; Freedom to Read Week Kit 1996 A Chronology of Freedom of Expression in Canada, Book and Periodical Council, p. 4; Dixon Deplores Book Seizures, The Vancouver Sun, 22 February 1989, p. B8]
Information on censorship repeated herein is courtesy of the B.C. Intellectual Freedom Committee. More information is available from their website.
-- Nobody Has to be a Kid Forever by Hila Colman and Blubber and Then Again, Maybe I Won't both by Judy Blume. Recalled from Castlegar elementary schools after complaints from a mother that they were "soft-core pornography" and "filth". [Schools Recall 'Teen' Books, Vancouver Sun 25 February 1981, p. A10]
-- In 1983, a poetry reading by John Lane was cancelled by the Prince George public library because a swear word was found in one of his poems. [Prince George Citizen 25 October 1986]
-- Boys and Sex by Wardell Baxter Pomeroy. Challenged in 1984 by Julia Serup, a parent of a child in a Prince George school, due to its content of "deviant sexual activity." The book was removed from the school library in April 1984, but was later returned. [Peace Arch News (White Rock) 14 January 1995]
-- Breaking Up by Norma Klein. In October 1984, the Vernon School Board ordered the removal of all copies of this book from junior secondary school because parents objected to references to female masturbation and lesbianism, and descriptions of male sex organs and sex scenes. [Book Pulled from School Following Sex Complaint, Vancouver Sun 11 October 1984, p. B7]
-- After releasing the New Reality: Politics of Restraint in B.C., New Star Books claimed it was being discriminated against in terms of its access to provincial lottery revenues because funds could no longer subsidize books on "economic, political and social history and comment." Two years later, this lottery fund rule was revoked. [Censorship Alive and Kicking, The News (Burnaby) 4 March 1992]
-- In 1986, a lay preacher complained to Coquitlam public library that a children's picture book contained "vampirism".[Protecting the Right to Read, Coquitlam Now 2 March 1994]
-- The Advocate. Banned by Canada Customs in 1986 enroute to Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium. [Little Sister's Loses Customs Appeal, The Vancouver Sun 25 June 1998, p. B1]
-- Dzelarhons: Mythology of the Northwest Coast by Anne Cameron. Seized on June 4, 1986 by Canada Customs while being imported by Little Sisters. One story of this collection is the retelling of a legend where a woman marries a bear and has two children. Customs seized it on the basis that it contained "bestiality"; they later released it. [Customs Releases Bear' Book, Globe and Mail 26 June 1986]
-- The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Robin Muller. In February 1987, there was a demonstration outside the New Westminster Public Library during the writer-illustrator's talk to students in grades two and four. Protesters felt the book taught about witchcraft and black magic. Due to the protest, he chose another book to talk about. [Foe of Occult Raps Talk by Writer, The Vancouver Sun 20 February 1987, p. C5]
-- Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein and Edmund White. Prohibited by Canada Customs, until it was declared not obscene by the courts on May 3, 1987. [Freedom to Read Week Kit 1996 A Chronology of Freedom of Expression in Canada, Book and Periodical Council, p. 4]
-- The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Weise. In 1987 this book (which was originally published in 1938) was removed from use in Vancouver schools because it was seen as stereotypical and derogatory. Eric Wong, the School Board's consultant on race relations defended the decision by saying that, "the time we have our students in schools, we role-model a lot of things. Education isn't just random, you have to organize it. If you use a book like that, it's going to have a profound effect on children, not just on the majority group, but also on the minority group." [Banned: Some Throw Book at Censors, Vancouver Sun 16 June 1987, p. B1]
-- Wheels for Walking by Sandra Richmond. This book about an 18-year-old girl who becomes quadriplegic after a ski accident was removed from Abbotsford schools in 1987 because it uses strong language and has sexual content. [Banned: Some Throw Book at Censors, Vancouver Sun 16 June 1987, p. B1]
-- Earth Child Series by Jean Auel. In 1988, books in this series were removed from the Williams Lake School (District 27) library due to passages that were felt to be sexually explicit. [Peace Arch News (White Rock) 27 February 1988]
-- Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer. In 1988, a request was made to the Central Okanagan School Board to remove this book from secondary school libraries, on a charge that it was pornographic. The Board refused. [Out With the Old, Not Porno, The Province 25 March 1988, p. 35]
-- For All the Wrong Reasons by John Neufield. Removed by the Central Okanagan School Board. A reason given was that it was "dated, not pornographic." [Out With the Old, Not Porno, The Province 25 March 1988, p. 35]
-- Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. Canadian Customs placed an import block on this novel, six months after it had been for sale in Canada. They decided that it was not hate literature as defined by the Criminal Code, and rescinded the ban within 48 hours. Canada became the only western democracy to detain this book. Coles bookstores pulled all the copies of this novel from their shelves. [Rushdie's Book Hard to Find, Nanaimo Daily Free Press, 22 February 1989; The Vancouver Sun, 22 February 1989; Freedom to Read Week Kit 1996 A Chronology of Freedom of Expression in Canada, Book and Periodical Council, p. 4; Dixon Deplores Book Seizures, The Vancouver Sun, 22 February 1989, p. B8]
Information on censorship repeated herein is courtesy of the B.C. Intellectual Freedom Committee. More information is available from their website.
Submitted on April 23, 2004 in By David.
