10-Year-Old Borrows Steamy Gay Sex Manga From Local Library

[StaplerSan]

This article upsets me.

Mostly because I have no idea how to pronounce "yaoi".

I mean, three vowels and a "y"? Come on, what the hell?

In case you still haven't figured it out, it's pronounced yow-ee.

Also I would have to side with the library in this case, since its pretty clearly marked as explicit content. And who the hell would let their 10 year old walk around a library unattended?

 

[LarenzoAOG]

Here's a thought, put the porn on the top shelf so the little shits can't reach it. Yet another one of society's problems solved.

 

[samahain]

I kinda staggered over the KCLS answer "[...]All non-fiction titles, including children's non-fiction, are shelved together.[...]"

That means TRANSMETROPOLITAN would be stashed along with THOMAS THE TRAIN.

That's irresponsible and unbecoming of a public library.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I wonder if the kid used the self checkout and if this isn't the first instance of her checking out these manga.

I'm on the side of... oh wait this isn't a binary court of law I can blame them both.

Yeah, everyone spouting arguments on either side is missing the bigger picture that fault can be easily divided here.

Pff, killjoy.

My library registers your age to your card account, so the "check-it-yourself" terminal won't let you take out a 13+ or 18+ item if you aren't old enough.

Could be possible if the kid was using the parents card. Granted, I'm not sure, it's been over a decade since I've gone to the library.

 

[Azuaron]

Well I think somebody goofed up. It being a comic book I'm not sure what the law says about first amendment protection like books have so maybe it's a bit shaky legally. The library or the parents shouldn't have let her get her hands on it so easily. Though it's not the end of the world really. I don't know if it's anyone in particular's fault though I guess the library will keep an eye out for things like this in the future.

Maybe it was put in the wrong section (perhaps even the children's section) by mistake as it looks like a comic. When I used to work in a library well meaning, or lazy, customers would move books around, and just put them wherever and mess the whole system up.

But you'll notice that theaters aren't allowed to let kids into rated R movies without an adult, and stores aren't allowed to sell M or AO games to minors.

Perhaps, but that's just their policy. It's not the law. They don't HAVE to not allow kids to see R rated movies, but most places have the company policy of not doing that. At least in the US. Here in the UK I would have been, metaphorically, fucked by the law had one 14 year old seen a boob when I worked at a cinema.

My mind has been blown... I've been under the impression that restricting minors from R movies was law, but apparently not (though, according to Wikipedia, "There is a new law that has been passed and enforced since 2009 where children under the age of 12 are strictly prohibited from viewing the [R rated] film." But I can't find any other information on this law, so...)

However, reading up on it more, this seems to be a "voluntary" policy only in the sense that blackmail is "voluntary". Without the MPAA, the government would take (and has taken in the past) legal measures.

But, and this one I feel I'm on firmer ground, pornography can't be distributed to minors according to the law.

 

[Jamash]

I think the library is completely in the wrong in this case, and their reason for being wrong is stupid and misguided.

The title checked out, "Hero Heel 2" was catalogued as Adult Non-Fiction. All non-fiction titles, including children's non-fiction, are shelved together.

While I can understand their reasoning for keeping children's and Adult Non-Fiction in the same place and not preventing children from taking out Adult Non-Fiction, after all who are they to stand in the way of learning if a child wants to learn about history, read an atlas or encyclopaedia, however the library is completely misguided and foolish to believe that gay sex Manga is Non-Fiction, that Hero Heel 2 is a truthful, historical account of the brutal and "rapey" sexual encounters of two real world, living, breathing Animé characters.

As far as I can see, the library dropped a bollock in mis-catagoirising Hero Heel 2 as Non-Fiction and rather than own up to their mistake (if indeed they even realise it), they're trying to excuse their action with talk of ethics, freedom of information and not censoring a child's opportunity to learn. It's like the spokesman for the library didn't even look at the comic or case in question and gave his answer based entirely on principles.

Non-Fiction, really? The person responsible for this needs to get their head out of the books and open their eyes.

 

[Rastien]

I don't really think the library is at fault here. The parents responsible should really keep an eye on the books their kids take home with them. After all you wouldn't allow them to watch whatever they wanted on the TV, would you? You'd check to make sure they didn't watch something unsuitable. It's not the TV's job to do that. You wouldn't let your kid search up whatever pictures and videos they felt like online.

This.

I'm so sick and tired of everyone looking for someone or something else to blame rather than taking a tiny amount of responsibility themselves.

It's like parents going berserk over Grand Theft Auto as "I didn't realise how bad the game was!" really... the big 18 sticker on the box or the pictures of violence on the back? so now you want to blame the shop or publisher -_-.

Or as you say letting a child browse the internet without any restrictions or supervision it's just poor parenting :/ but no no we can't say that we must blame the internet.

 

[Mr Pantomime]

My library has similar books. Used to check them out all the time when I was 12-13. I didnt show anyone though. I'm not stupid.

http://www.mangahere.com/manga/angel_sanctuary/
Angel Sanctuary, that was one of the longer series I read. Huge amount of gay sex and incest and all that. Also angel and demons and reincarnation and stuff.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

Well, I'm seeing some "It's the library's fault!" in the thread here, and while yes, it is illegal to supply a minor with pornography, I'm still siding with them.
A ten year old should not be unsupervised in the library. That's irresponsible.
The library is not responsible for the content of its material: the public is.
Age restrictions do not serve the public: I myself was reading adult-level books in 4th grade.
Pornography is hard to qualify: Is it nudity? goodbye, horror. is it explicit sex? goodbye A Clockwork Orange, and all nc-17 films!
Does this book actually show anything? Most yaoi is incredibly non-explicit when it comes to showing the sex. Even if the scenes aren't skipped entirely, there is almost never anything visible when it comes to the actual sex acts.
And finally, the policy warns you.
The only thing I'm seeing as their fault is that somehow it was tagged as non-fiction. Yaoi is only slightly less realistic than hentai in its depiction of sexual behavior

 

[Easton Dark]

Heh. I thought you said it contained two "garden-variety bushes engaging in 'rather violent' sex". I was just thinking, what other kind of bushes are there? They're typically in a garden. And I can imagine it's violent sex, all they have is sharp roots. Though they do have lots of hard wood.

Anyway... I think it's fine she checked it out. No reason to get up in arms.

 

[Kittyhawk]

This old chestnut. Its not the first time this has happened with manga, since its been gracing library shelves. But like all those other times, I have to back up the libraries on this one.

Parents, its your responsibilty to vet what media your kids consume, tough job but only you can do it. Having an objection to yaoi (pronounced 'ya-oi') manga being in a library isn't going to fly, when 50 Shades of Gray is also available, is lapped up by adult females (the same audience for yaoi) and given the red carpet treatment, because its a text novel. This yaoi book has a parental advisory label on it, so its doing its part that what's inside, may not be suitable for a younger audience.

Manga has done some great things for the comic medium, by pushing the bounderies, in a similar to many indie/creators owned comics. The regular people on the street still unfortunately see it as stuff for kids, and how wrong they are.

Sounds to me, that this is more of a 'gay's are evil (not true), so why are there comics about them, in our good library' witch hunt. The moment they start sensoring and burning books, I'm afraid they'll have to stoke the fires with 50 Shades trilogy, too. I'm amazed that such hypocrisy still exists that whatever is produced in text, gets a pass, but if its drawn, then its somehow a problem, and more corruptable.

As for such a yaoi book, take a moment to talk to your child about it, and why they shouldn't be reading it.

 

[Urgol]

I really don't see the problem here....

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

"KCLS will not limit children to the use of books in the children's section of the library, as these materials may not meet the needs and interests of all children. In addition, library staff is not responsible for determining whether materials used by children and teens are "age appropriate."
These policies are not unique to KCLS. They are consistent with public library policies across the United States.

Quoted for truth.

Anyway, good for KCLS! That father was absolutely in the wrong. The only person he has to blame for what his daughter is reading is himself - for not looking at what she'd checked out sooner.

Also - 20 years ago, when I was a preteen girl, I could (and did) walk into my library and check out romance novels.

You think Yaoi is bad? Read a proper harlequin romance novel sometime.

Everyone's all "oh god, it has pictures!" - yeah, drawings. Who cares? Yaoi still has to avoid graphic nudity and explicit sex to avoid being actual porn. Novels don't.

The dad needs to grow a pair and realize that his daughter is going to read books about sex. She's even going to HAVE SEX* (if she wants to). Seriously, Mr. De Nevers, grow the fuck up.

*[sub]In about five more years, but still.
And yes, I added this in case anyone misunderstood and thought I meant immediately.[/sub]

 

[chadachada123]

Is there a romance section of the library in question (or at least a good number of romance novels)? Yes?

Then why the fuck should this manga be treated any differently?

I'm afraid I'm on the side of the library here: If they clearly state that it isn't their business what kids check out...Maybe the parents should be checking out the books on behalf of their kids instead, yeah?

As far as I can see, even if it's pornographic in nature, it still has artistic value and wouldn't be labelled "obscene" in a (functional) court of law. Meaning it can't be withheld from children by the law alone, and this library clearly is using the same definition of obscene as the Miller Test, which is legal precedence in the United States. On top of this, the majority of manga avoid specifically showing the genitals or penetration, making them racy in nature but not "full-blown porn."

 

[Ushiromiya Battler]

Is it that hard for a librarian to notice an adult only sticker and tell a 10 year old kid that she can't borrow it unless she has her parents with her or something?

 

[dimensional]

I also dont see a problem here it was clearly labelled but people can buy (borrow) whatever books they want I dont believe it has the same age restrictions as games (which most people couldnt care less about it seems) and Films (which people still ignore on a regular basis) and nor should they in my opinion once we start saying who can read what and when and what books are appropriate for whom we start to go into dangerous territory.

It also seems the library complied with their policy the parent obviously dosent like it but just because hes butt hurt dosent make him in the right, if he cares so much you can restrict what those under your responsibility read make the call on a personal level not as a blanket decision all books should remain open for all regardless of their supposed suitability and worth.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

My mind has been blown... I've been under the impression that restricting minors from R movies was law, but apparently not (though, according to Wikipedia, "There is a new law that has been passed and enforced since 2009 where children under the age of 12 are strictly prohibited from viewing the [R rated] film." But I can't find any other information on this law, so...)

However, reading up on it more, this seems to be a "voluntary" policy only in the sense that blackmail is "voluntary". Without the MPAA, the government would take (and has taken in the past) legal measures.

But, and this one I feel I'm on firmer ground, pornography can't be distributed to minors according to the law.

Don't you remember the fuss a couple years ago when the supreme court ruled on the first amendment protection of videogames? Books and movies are protected speech, and so the government, cannot under the constitution, stop people from seeing them except in extreme situations.

 

[Macgyvercas]

This article upsets me.

Mostly because I have no idea how to pronounce "yaoi".

I mean, three vowels and a "y"? Come on, what the hell?

I believe the phonetic pronunciation would sound something like "Yow-ee".