“If you're going to college, you should be able to read something that has lesbians and gays in it.”According to College of Charleston spokesman Mike Robertson, the 4,000 copies of the comic book cost taxpayers $39,000 plus a $13,000 fee to Bechdel for a planned October campus visit.
-- Caroline Mikulski, an 18-year-old preparing for "higher education" at Charleston
For background, read Sex Training Sweeps Campuses on Taxpayers' Dime and also read Hooker, Porn Star Lectures at University of Illinois as well as Orgasm Live Demo in Chicago College Classroom
-- From "College of Charleston freshman book questioned" by The Associated Press & WCIV-TV4 ABC 7/26/13
The College issued a statement Friday, saying the school each year picks a book that will foster discussion across the campus on a current and relevant topic. The book is picked by a committee made up of faculty, staff members, administrators and students.
"Fun Home, a critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller, is a coming of age story and an exploration of themes related to discovering one's identity while at the same time coming to a more nuanced understanding of one's parents and one's family history through the lenses of literature, history, and art," the College's statement read.
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From "Palmetto Family conservative group concerned about College of Charleston's freshman book selection" by Diane Knich, Charleston Post and Courier 7/25/13
In “Fun Home,” which Bechdel has written and drawn in comic-strip form, she describes her childhood with a closeted gay father, who was an English teacher and owner of a funeral home; the trial he faced over his dealings with young boys; his possible suicide; and her own coming out as a lesbian.
Oran Smith, president and chief operating officer of Palmetto Family, which works in association with the national groups Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council, said he has “a strong concern” about the book. “I found it very close to pornography,” he said, “way over the top.”
He's not sure yet what action his group might take. “We don't think this book should be banned in America,” he said. “We don't think it should be burned. It's just not appropriate for college freshmen.”
The book was brought to his attention by an out-of-state parent whose child was assigned the book at a College of Charleston freshman orientation, he said. . . .
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From "CofC freshman book ruffles conservative group’s feathers" by Paul Bowers, Charleston City Paper 7/19/13
The book does have some drawings of nudity, including a male body on a morgue table and a few panels that show a woman performing oral sex on another woman. There is also a section that describes Bechdel's first period and first experiences with masturbation. . . .
The College Reads! book is chosen each year by a committee of faculty, staff, administrators, and students. According to a press release from the college, the committee looks for "a book of a manageable length, with a living author, with relevant themes and intellectually stimulating topics that will generate meaningful dialogue and engage the campus community in a variety of ways." Previous selections have included the food-ethics treatise Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, the Vietnam War story collection The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, and the novel Jewel by Bret Lott (an author who also aroused some controversy over the inclusion of his book The Hunt Club in public grade school libraries).
In a blog post explaining the book's selection in January, Provost George Hynd said the book was meant to inspire "important conversations" about topics including identity, diversity, and sexuality. "The themes of Fun Home support the Diversity Strategic Plan, the creation of the Gender Resource Center on campus, and speak volumes about our commitment to an open campus climate for all students," Hynd said.
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In addition, read Obama Administration Muzzles College Students' Moral Speech
