OUT ON A LIMB: Sen. Kennedy is right: It’s not anti-gay to want books such as Gender Queer removed from schools.

This stunt shocked the audience, with one witness calling it “very disturbing.” But it effectively raised an important question: If it’s too outrageous to read these books out loud in a room full of adults, why on Earth are they freely available in some middle school classrooms ? And why are liberals and Democrats fighting their removal in the name of “gay rights” and “opposing book bans”?

“Politicians have targeted books that include LGBTQ subject matter,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) lamented in his opening statement. “One of four banned books features LGBT characters and themes.”

“No parent should have the right to tell another parent’s child what they can or cannot read in school or at home,” he continued. “Every student deserves access to books that reflect their experiences and help them understand who they are. These efforts to ban books violate our most cherished principles as Americans and betray our values as a nation. We must protect our students and their freedom to read and learn.”

Though as Jim Treacher notes, “During a Senate Judiciary Hearing, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy read aloud explicit excerpts from books like Gender Queer and All Boys Aren’t Blue. Look, if I want politicians to talk dirty to me, I’ll subscribe to their livestreams.”