By Spencer Miller
Background
In January of 2026, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE)—Alberta’s largest school division—quietly removed 44 graphic novels from its school library shelves. The deselection process was conducted in accordance with Ministerial Order 34/2025: Standards for the Selection, Availability and Access of School Library Materials, a revised order from the Government of Alberta that requires the removal of materials “containing any explicit visual depiction of a sexual act” (Alberta Ministry of Education and Childcare, 2025, p. 2). While the division initially refused requests to reveal the list of pulled materials (French, 2026, para. 6), a list of 44 titles removed was soon made available to the public through an access to information request (Appel, 2026, para. 4). Since then, 40 other school divisions in Alberta have pulled more than 170 books from library shelves in compliance with the provincial order (McKay, 2026).
What books are disappearing off shelves? It’s worth taking a closer look. While a graduate student at the University of Calgary, I completed an analysis of the content of the 44 graphic novels removed by CBE for a class project. Given concerns that the Standards would target 2SLGBTQIA+ books (Anderson et al., 2025), I chose to focus my analysis on how these graphic novels reflect diverse perspectives on gender and sexuality. In this article, I will share how I planned my research project, what I found in Alberta’s “banned books”, and implications about what these standards could mean for Alberta students going forward.
Developing Research Questions
The first task for my project was to develop a set of research questions to guide my process. I settled on the following: 1. How do books removed from Calgary Board of Education’s libraries in compliance with Ministerial Order 34/2025 reflect diverse perspectives on gender and sexuality? and 2. In which ways might Ministerial Order 34/2025 limit CBE’s students’ access to literature with diverse perspectives on gender and sexuality? These questions were my dressed-up way of asking what is actually in these “banned books” and what are students missing out on now that they’ve disappeared from shelves? My inquiry was limited to the 44 graphic novels removed by CBE because theirs was the only publicly available list of removed titles at the time.
Determining Methodology
The next task was to determine a methodology or the specific strategy I would use to approach answering my research questions. I started by looking at what other researchers have done to evaluate the contents of banned books. I learned there is precedent within the fields of Educational Research and Library and Information Science to use Critical Content Analysis (CAA) as a tool to study banned books. Recently, researchers in the United States have utilized content analysis to evaluate book banning policies and to measure their impact on students’ access to books with diverse perspectives (see for example Bell’s (2024) analysis of banned young adult novels centering the experiences of Black youth with police brutality, Rodriguez & Osorio’s (2024) analysis of banned Latine picture books, and Jarebica’s (2025) analysis of young adult novels banned in Texas).
In Critical Content Analysis of Children’s and Young Adult Literature (2017), Short (2017) defines CCA as “bringing a critical lens to an analysis of a text or group of texts in an effort to explore the possible underlying messages within those texts, particularly as related to issues of power” (p. 6). This includes asking questions about whose values, texts, and ideologies are privileged or considered normative. In other words, CCA seeks to uncover “who gets to speak, whose story is told, and in what ways” (Short, 2017, p. 5). This method seemed well-suited to help me respond to my research question, so I adopted the process and procedures for CCA outlined by Short to fit within the limits of my class project requirements.
Text Selection & Book Information
After consulting research from other scholars, I realized it would not be feasible to cover all 44 books on CBE’s list as part of my project. To narrow my scope, I decided my analysis would only include books explicitly containing 2SLGBTQIA+ content based on the publishers’ descriptions. Of the 44 books on CBE’s Listing of school literary materials to be removed (2025), I quickly identified five titles as having a focus on 2SLGBTQIA+ characters and themes.
| Covers of Be Gay, Do Comics (IDW Publishing), Blue Is the Warmest Color (Arsenal Pulp Press), Gender Queer (Oni Press), Juliet Takes a Breath (BOOM! Box), and Spellbound (Street Noise Books) |
Next, I had to familiarize myself with each of these titles. To be consistent, I prepared a series of guiding questions to organize book information, similar to the process employed by Jarebica (2025). For each of the five books I selected, I recorded details about the authors’ background, the novels’ genres, the main characters’ identities, and noted any awards and honours each book may have received to better understand the cultural impact of these texts. I also skimmed through each text to determine the reason for its removal, making note of any explicit visual depictions of sex as outlined in Ministerial Order 34/2025 (2025). Here is a summary of the book information I collected for each text:
Be Gay, Do Comics (2020) is an anthology compiled and edited by Matt Bors and the team at The Nib, an independent comics publisher. It features dozens of comics that explore everything from queer history to personal memoirs to political satire. The collection won the 2020 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Anthology. Found in the collection, “The Life of Gad Beck: Gay. Jewish. Nazi Fighter.” is a short biographical comic that tells the story of an openly gay, Jewish resistance fighter during World War II. The comic includes a panel in which Gad Beck is depicted kissing and lying on top of his partner in bed (Alexander & Hastings, 2020, p. 11).
Originally published in French as Le bleu est une couleur chaude, Blue is the Warmest Color is a graphic novel from Julie Maroh republished in English by Canadian independent publisher Arsenal Pulp Press in 2013. A bittersweet love story, the novel recounts the transformative relationship between two young women and ends with the main character Clementine’s untimely death from illness. Notably, a film adaptation of the novel (which alters the tragic ending of the book) received major critical acclaim, including winning the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. The novel includes several explicit scenes that explore the intimate, emotional, and vulnerable nature of sexual relationships.
Juliet Takes a Breath (2020) is a graphic novel adaptation of the popular semi-autobiographical young adult novel of the same name by author Gabby Rivera. Illustrated by Celia Moscote, the graphic novel brings shape and colour to the story of Juliet Milagros Palante, a 19-year-old Puerto Rican and recently out lesbian who moves away to Portland for a summer internship. The original YA novel was included on several annual book lists by the American Library Association (ALA) for its notable queer and feminist content. In this sex-positive story, scenes of Juliet experimenting with masturbation and with a partner are included with an emphasis on the importance of control, consent, and communication.
Gender Queer: A Memoir (2019) is written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe and charts eir journey from adolescence to adulthood and explores what it means to be nonbinary and asexual. The book was a finalist for the Stonewall Book Award for non-fiction and was recognized by the ALA with an Alex Award for books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18, leading to it becoming more widely available in school library collections and eventually the most banned book in America (Alter, 2022). The illustrations of sex found in the graphic memoir include depictions of masturbation, oral sex, the use of a sex toy, and ancient Greek pottery.
Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir (2020) is a meta-memoir from transgender artist Bishakh Som in which Som reflects on coming-out later in life by retelling her life’s story using a fictional avatar named Anjali, allowing readers to view her younger self as she would have us see her. Through Anjali, Som recounts leaving her career as an architect, the emotional toll of caring for aging parents, and the release that comes with choosing to live her life on her own terms. The graphic memoir was named a Lambda Literary Award Finalist. Sex is depicted using a series of close-up, mostly line illustrations of women’s bodies while entwined in embrace (Som, 2020, pp. 42, 127).
Content Analysis
After gathering text information, the next step in content analysis is to immerse yourself in reading. Following the recommendation of Short (2017), I read each graphic novel twice: once completely without stopping and a second time, making notes about passages that caught my attention (Note: when reading Be Gay, Do Comics for this analysis, I focused on the comic “The Life of Gad Beck: Gay. Jewish. Nazi Fighter.” for which the anthology was removed). To be consistent, I referred back to these questions from Short (2017, p. 11) to guide me in identifying key moments, phrases, or quotes that could potentially connect to larger themes.
- Whose story is told? From whose point of view?
- Who has power? Who has agency?
- How is the story resolved?
After multiple readings, I sorted and grouped my notes into categories to establish potential overarching themes. Then came the process of refining, merging, and discarding ideas until I was left with three clear themes that connect these graphic novels.
Self-discovery, it takes time!
Together, these stories normalize feeling confused and having questions about identity. In Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013), high schooler Clementine records in her diary that she spent months “staring at the walls and asking a lot of questions about myself” (p. 29). While describing eir teenage self in Gender Queer, Maia recalls being overwhelmed with questions, noting “I poured my confusion into journal after journal” (p. 71). In Spellbound (2020), Som recalls her adolescent self being “desperate for some kind of identity to bring my blurry sense of self into focus” (p. 3). In each story, it is suggested that finding yourself takes time and will include making mistakes (and that the journey of self-discovery is never over). In the final pages of her memoir, Som (2020) declares, “after half a century (I KNOW! I’m a late bloomer!) at sea, I finally kind of know who I am” (p. 147). For teen readers, takeaways from these stories might include: have patience, don’t keep your questions to yourself, and embrace every small step on the journey of self discovery.
Happiness over fear
In each of these stories, the characters experience some form of fear, like fear of rejection, fear of failure, or fear of hatred. Their worries and anxieties aren’t unwarranted; at some point each of the characters also experiences some form of homophobia or prejudice, like unaccepting parents, unsupportive friends, or even harassment and violence. While these stories deal with the scary realities of growing up outside what society might deem “normal” or “acceptable”, readers are encouraged to take courage and look for the happiness that comes with staying true to yourself. At the end of Gender Queer, an adult Maia realizes, “I think I am carrying more fear than I need” (p. 239). In Blue is the Warmest Color (2013), Clementine’s final words to Emma are “Please live your precious life, what’s left of it, to the fullest” (p. 154). “The Life of Gad Beck” (2020) includes words from the real-life Gad Beck, a Holocaust Survivor, describing how he was able to survive the darkest of times: “I mustered strength from the individual moments of happiness that I was always able to ring out of life… no matter how dire the straits” (p. 15). Teen readers who are passing through difficult times, living with fears, or experiencing prejudice may find comfort and guidance in the words and experiences of these characters.
Find your people
Having questions and/or experiencing confusion about your gender or sexuality can bring about feelings of loneliness and even alienation. Embedded within each of these stories is an invitation to reach out and connect with others, even if it’s intimidating. Reflecting on eir time in high school, Maia recalls when, “finally I got up the courage to say: I’m going to go check out the QSA meeting… It was the most nerve-racking 50-foot walk of my life” (Kobabe, 2019, pp. 47-48). In Juliet Takes a Breath (2020), Juliet makes the scary decision to move across the country in her search for a “group of my own, where being a queer dyke weirdo person was nbd” (Portland section). In Portland, she connects with other queer people of colour with similar interests and experiences. For the first time, she feels fully understood and embraces the intersecting parts of her identity. In “The Life of Gad Beck” (2020), readers are told “the attachment [Gad] felt to his community was what motivated him to resist the Nazis and find the strength to eventually live a life underground” (p. 8). These stories relay that while finding your people takes courage, it’s worth taking the first steps because being a part of a community can help us learn more about ourselves and our community can carry us through difficult times.
Bonus: Find your voice
While not exactly a theme, there was another major commonality among these five texts that stuck out to me: each highlighted the power of writing. The closing panels of “The Life of Gad Beck” (2020) flash forward to modern day where a queer couple, troubled by recent events on the news, find comfort in the words of Gad Beck recorded in his memoir (p. 15). Clementine keeps a diary which she calls her most precious possession (Maroh, 2013, p. 6). Juliet joins a writing space for Black and Brown women, researches queer history, and discovers “reading will make you brilliant. But writing will make you infinite” (Epilogue). Gender Queer (2019) begins with Maia explaining the memoir began as an assignment for an art class to “try writing down some of the things you consider your “demons.”” (p. 6). Spellbound (2020) ends with Som’s revelation that it was through writing comics that she realized she was a woman, her female protagonists’ voices “beckoning me, announcing that I was one of them” (Som, 2020, p. 147). These graphic novels highlight the importance of writing, of self-expression, of pouring your feelings out on the page. They tell young readers: your story matters. Sharing your thoughts, feelings, and ideas can make a difference in the world.
Implications & Conclusion
The final step of my research project was to take what I learned during my content analysis and offer an answer to my research questions, relay implications, and make any suggestions for further areas of research.
When it comes to how books removed from CBE’s libraries reflect diverse perspectives on gender and sexuality, five of the 44 removed titles focus on 2SLGBTQIA+ characters and themes. From diverse and award-winning comics creators, these books highlight the experiences of young people transitioning into adulthood while facing questions about their gender and sexuality. Notably, most of these titles include elements of memoir and biography. Utilizing fact and fiction, these graphic novels tell authentic stories that are open and honest with readers. While frankly depicting the prejudice, challenges, and confusion many young people face, these stories remain positive, hopeful, and informational. Together, these books encourage readers to live life to the fullest, embrace the happy moments, and seek out healthy, supportive, and loving relationships.
I found these graphic novels contain both explicit and artistic visualizations of sex and sexual relationships. Not intended to titillate, the sex in these comics is depicted true-to-life: it’s sometimes exciting, sometimes awkward, sometimes intimate, sometimes pleasurable, and sometimes disappointing. The characters’ experiences also reveal there are emotional consequences associated with sexual relationships and emphasis is placed on the importance of communication, consent, and connection. The explicit depictions of sex and sexual relationships for which these books were removed are actually part of what make these books worthwhile within a school library collection. Consider that the word “explicit” also means clear, exact, and precise (Cambridge Diction, n.d.). Students are benefitted by access to reading materials that are clear, exact, and precise in their depictions of sex and sexual relationships.
Another avenue of research I would like to pursue (and encourage others to take on) would be to examine in detail how/if the content of Alberta’s “banned books” align with the curriculum and program of studies. As it’s been suggested that books containing 2SLGBTQIA+ content can be complementary sources of sex and sexuality education, providing information and insight often left out of school curricula (see Bittner (2012) and Palmer & Hirsch (2022)), is it possible these removed titles could be used as teaching resources?
After reading, rereading, and poring over the details of these five graphic novels, I am concerned that their removal limits older high school students’ access to diverse reading materials at their interest level. While there remain other books with 2SLGBTQIA+ content on school library shelves, these memoirs, biographies, and coming-of-age stories share a focus on the transition from adolescence into adulthood, sharing insights and experiences not commonly found in young adult literature. It is necessary that older high school students, themselves making the transition to adulthood, have access to books relevant to their experiences. Especially for students with questions regarding their gender and sexuality, these books are able to provide a sense of visibility and belonging. In conclusion, I find that Order 34/2025: Standards for the Selection, Availability and Access of School Library Materials limits students’ access to diverse texts and therefore ought to be rescinded.
References
Alberta Ministry of Education and Childcare. (2025). Ministerial Order 034/2025: Standards for the selection, availability and access of school library materials. Retrieved from Government of Alberta https://open.alberta.ca/publications/ec-034-2025
Alexander, D., & Hastings, L. (2020) The life of Gad Beck: Gay. Jewish. Nazi fighter. In Bors, M., Lubchansky, M., Mirk, S. & Harris, E. (Eds.), Be gay, do comics: Queer history, memoir, and satire from The Nib (pp. 7-15). IDW Publishing.
Alter, A. (2022, May 1). How a debut graphic memoir became the most banned book in the country. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/01/books/maia-kobabe-gender-queer-book-ban.html
Appel, J. (2026, January 29). Versions of ‘1984’ and ‘Book of Genesis’ Banned in Alberta Schools. The Tyee. https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2026/01/29/Graphic-Novels-1984-Genesis-Banned-Alberta-Schools/
Anderson, J., Campbell, C., Richard, N., & Callaghan, T.D. Alberta youth have the right to school library books that reflect their lives, including sexuality. The Conversation. https://doi.org/10.64628/AAM.3hsfnus9j
Bell, S. (2024). Hands up, grow up: An analysis of the use of epistemic violence and adultification in African American young adult literature (Publication No. 31149046) [Master’s thesis, Southern Illinois University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
Bittner, R. (2012). Queering sex education: Young adult literature with LGBT content as complementary sources of sex and sexuality education. Journal of LGBT Youth, 9(4), 357–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2012.714167
Bors, M., Lubchansky, M., Mirk, S. & Harris, E. (Eds.). (2020) Be gay, do comics: Queer history, memoir, and satire from The Nib. IDW Publishing.
Calgary Board of Education. (2025). Listing of school literary materials to be removed. Retrieved from The Orchard https://www.readtheorchard.org/p/here-are-the-secret-lists-of-banned
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Explicit. In Dictionary. Cambridge.org dictionary. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/explicit
French, J. (2026, January 6). Alberta school divisions remove handful of titles from shelves as new school library rules take effect. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-school-libraries-ministerial-order-9.7035729
Jarebica, T. (2025). Unveiling perspectives: Young adults banned books critical content analysis (Publication No. 31841927) [Doctoral dissertation, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
Johnson, H., Mathis, J., & Short, K. G. (2017). Critical content analysis of children’s and young adult literature: Reframing perspective. Routledge.
Kobabe, M. (2019). Gender queer: A memoir. Oni Press.
Maroh, J. (2013). Blue is the warmest color. Arsenal Pulp Press.
McKay, B. (2026, April 27). 41 Alberta school divisions banned books to comply with provincial order. Investigative Journalism Foundation. https://theijf.org/article/41-alberta-school-divisions-banned-books-to-comply-with-provincial-order
Palmer, M. M., & Hirsch, J. S. (2022). Putting the “comprehensive” in comprehensive sexuality education: A review exploring young adult literature as a school-based intervention. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 19(4), 1867-1878.
Rivera, G. & Moscote, C. (2020). Juliet takes a breath. Boom Entertainment.
Rodriguez, S., & Osorio, S. (2024). Censorship in early childhood: A critical content analysis of banned and challenged Latiné picture books. Research on Diversity in Youth Literature, 6(1), 1-26.
Short, K. G. (2017). Critical content analysis as a research methodology. In H. Johnson, J. Mathis & K. Short (Eds.), Critical content analysis of children’s and young adult literature (pp. 1-15). Routledge.
Som, B. (2020) Spellbound: A graphic memoir. Street Noise Books.
Spencer Miller (he/him) is a teacher, writer, reader and basketball fan. He advocates for Canadian books in the classroom as the Editorial Coordinator of Top Grade: CanLit for the Classroom, a program of the Association of Canadian Publishers. You can follow more of Spencer’s passion for books on Instagram @SpencerBMiller.