Ali Velshi Banned Book Club about gay penguins and book bans

Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, authors of And tango makes three

Twenty-five years ago, two chinstrap penguins mated at the Central Park Zoo, raised a chick and became New York City’s most famous non-traditional family. Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, authors of the children’s book adaptation of the heartwarming story of the gay penguins, And tango makes Threejoin Ali Velshi.

Henry Cole illustrated the story about family dynamics, love, identity and acceptance. Although this true story, told in age-appropriate language, was widely hailed as a contemporary classic, it faced calls for a ban almost immediately after its release. Critics claimed the true story about gay penguins was a tool for “pandering.”

When And tango makes three When the book was published in 2015, there were very few books that addressed family dynamics beyond heterosexual cis mothers and fathers. Then, as now, Parnell and Richardson reflect on the impact the ban has on their young readers.

“Imagine a kindergarten where there are two dads or two moms finding out that this book has been removed from the school library because it has been described as pornographic, sexual or inappropriate,” says Richardson. “Think of a 12-year-old who is struggling with whether to tell some of her friends that she thinks she’s a lesbian, and then hearing again that the school has decided that this book, because it depicts a life like hers, is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the school library. Those are the people whose feelings we’re concerned about.”

Hear Velshi, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell discuss the cultural impact of And tango makes three

Watch Velshi, Parnell and Richardson show how two gay penguins symbolize all families

Velshi on banned books on MSNBC: