Same-sex penguin book riles town (...and tango makes three)

Pioneer Times-Journal ^ | November 17, 2006 | Jim Suhr

[beaversmom]

SHILOH, Ill. - A picture book about two male penguins raising a baby penguin is getting a chilly reception among some parents who worry about the book‘s availability to children — and the reluctance of school administrators to restrict access to it.

Complaining about the book‘s homosexual undertones, some parents of Shiloh Elementary School students believe the book — available to be checked out of the school‘s library in this 11,000-resident town 20 miles east of St. Louis — tackles topics their children aren‘t ready to handle.

For now, "And Tango Makes Three" will stay put, said school district Superintendent Jennifer Filyaw, though a panel she appointed suggested the book be moved and require parental permission to be checked out. The district‘s attorney said moving it might be construed as censorship.

"My feeling is that a library is to serve an entire population," she said. "It means you represent different families in a society — different religions, different beliefs."

"That‘s when I ended the story," she said.

"I wasn‘t armed with pitchforks or anything. I innocently was seeking answers," Del Pinto said, agreeing with Filyaw‘s belief that pulling the book from the shelves could constitute censorship.

Barbara Read, Rolling Hills‘ director, has said she consulted with staff members at the Omaha, Neb., and Kansas City zoos and the University of Oklahoma‘s zoology department, who told her adoptions aren‘t unusual in the world of penguins.

[beaversmom]

[LongElegantLegs]

The REAL Tango is VERY UPSET that his name has become associated with homosexuality...

[The Iceman Cometh]

who told her adoptions aren‘t unusual in the world of penguins.

Wonder if AIDS is rampant amongst the adoptive penguin society?

[avacado]

LOL!!!

[weegee]

Complaining about the book‘s homosexual undertones

OVERTONES. Words having meaning.

[beaversmom]

I hate to say this, bu his hair does look kind of pink. Are you sure you know Tango as well as you think you do?

[Chickensoup]

The REAL Tango is VERY UPSET that his name has become associated with homosexuality...

It there anything lighter in the loafers...uh...I mean paws than an apricot miniture poodle??

LOL

[LongElegantLegs]

What are you, some kind of colorist bigot?? :-P

[weegee]

Barbara Read, Rolling Hills‘ director, has said she consulted with staff members at the Omaha, Neb., and Kansas City zoos and the University of Oklahoma‘s zoology department, who told her adoptions aren‘t unusual in the world of penguins.

I saw March Of The Penguins. One female tried to steal another mother's child when hers died. Another child was left to die when its mother and/or father died. They are animals.

Among other species it is not uncommon for the male or female parent to eat their own young. Using actions in the animal kingdom to justify immoral behavior among adult humans is disingenuous.

[beaversmom]

Ping--the cover looks nice but I don't think I'll be getting this for #2 boy even though he's a penguin lover.

[beaversmom]

I'm just going to offer this piece of advice--keep Tango on a very short leash :)

[LongElegantLegs]

Maybe the biological mother wanted to pursue her career options.

[HitmanLV]

Can two divorced penguins share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

[Argus]

Among other species it is not uncommon for the male or female parent to eat their own young.

Hey, thanks to embryonic stem cell therapy, we can now eat ours too.

[LongElegantLegs]

It there anything lighter in the loafers...uh...I mean paws than an apricot miniture poodle??

[gidget7]

Soooooo true weegee, and also it is a researchable fact that penguins, and several other species, are not homosexual in the behavior described in this book. Quite the contrary. It is the males of these species who raise the young, and the female who gets the food.

[TXBubba]

Thanks for the ping. This was a good thread to end my stressed out week with!