Last night, several protestors converged outside of a Fairfax County School Board meeting at Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church. They were there to voice disapproval over two books that, until recently, were available in Fairfax County public school libraries. The works—Maia Kobabe’s memoir Gender Queer and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison—were recently pulled from the libraries after a parent complained about explicit sexual scenes in the texts, arguing that the literature includes portrayals of pedophilia. A review process will now determine whether the books, which both feature LGBTQ+ characters, will stay off the shelves for good.
However, books weren’t the only protest fodder. Demonstrators also voiced objections to vaccines, critical race theory, bathrooms, and mask requirements. Here’s a look:
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.
