Book bans are at an all-time high in developed countries. The most controversial book in Australia in recent years has been Gender Queer, a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe. The book, which details Kobabe’s experience in coming out as non-binary, has been re-approved for sale in Australia after a court ruling forced the Classification Review Board to review the book for a second time.
The book was first published in Australia in 2023, after the Classification Review Board rejected a conservative campaign to have Gender Queer banned. Conservative advocate Bernard Gaynor launched a successful campaign, and the Federal Court forced the Classification Review Board to conduct another classification.
