George Johnson vs. The Facts

The following is a response to remarks made by author George Johnson (All Boys Aren’t Blue) in a televised discussion with children’s advocate Bonnie Wallace on FOX 26 Houston’s Isiah Factor: Uncensored. The video was published on April 9, 2026, and can be viewed below.

The Economic Argument

3:49—Johnson argued that libraries should carry sexually explicit books because poor kids who want to read them can’t afford to buy them.

This argument is invalid because it rests on two flawed assumptions:

1. Taxpayers are obligated to purchase any book anyone requests and provide it free of charge, regardless of other considerations.
2. Minors benefit from reading sexually explicit books.

The “Anything Goes” Argument

5:05—Johnson said all books belong in libraries.

Some books are objectively, demonstrably harmful to minors, e.g., books that promote gender ideology (see here) and books that contain sexually explicit content (see here).

Additionally, libraries have a right and a responsibility to curate their collections, which even the ALA acknowledges (see here, here, and here).

Finally, libraries aren’t warehouses and were never conceived as such (see here).

Johnson Calls Wallace a Liar, Part 1

5:54—Wallace said the ALA defines YA as ages 12 and up. Johnson said that’s not true.

• The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, says this on their FAQ page: “Q: What is a young adult services (YA) librarian? A: A librarian who caters to the needs of the young adult population, ages 12 to 18” (see here).
• The YALSA Teen Space Guidelines page says this: “YALSA’s Teen Space Guidelines are a tool for evaluating a public library’s overall level of success in providing physical and virtual space dedicated to teens, aged 12-18” (see here).
• The YALSA Young Adult Library Services page says this: “Young Adult Library Services is the official journal of the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association. YALS primarily serves as a vehicle for continuing education for librarians serving young adults ages twelve through eighteen” (see here).
• The minutes for the 2011 YALSA Board of Directors Meeting says this: “Young adults are defined by YALSA as young people between the ages of 12 and 18” (see here).

Rules for Thee, but Not for Me

7:55—When discussing his Florida lawsuit, Johnson mentioned the “Trump-appointed judge” and “conservative judge.”

When conservatives do the same (in reverse) by mentioning an “activist judge” or an “Obama-appointed judge,” they’re accused of attacking the judiciary and undermining the integrity of our court system by questioning a judge’s impartiality.

The Therapeutic Argument

8:44—Johnson said removing books that depict the sexual assault of minors will not stop it from happening, and that these books help victims “navigate” their experience.

In actuality, they re-traumatize victims by causing them to relive their assault (see, for example, here and here).

The Prevention Argument

8:57—Johnson argued that sexual assault on college campuses occurs because “you are not allowing books that teach sex or consent to young adults before we place them in dormitories together.”

This causal link is unsubstantiated. More generally, though, the idea that exposing minors to sexually themed books would reduce sexual assault is contradicted by the evidence. There is abundant research showing that exposure to sexually explicit content, whether consensual or not, correlates with sexual violence (see here).

The Sex Ed Argument, Part 1

9:14—Johnson said parents who believe sex education should occur at home are unlikely to provide it themselves, arguing that their support for removing sexually explicit books for minors in libraries is evidence of their reluctance to discuss sex with their children.

His first claim—that parents who believe sex education should occur at home are unlikely to provide it themselves—is simply not true.

These parents are not unwilling to teach their children about sex. They just want it taught by the right people (the parents), in the right setting (the home), and with content they deem age-appropriate.

Moreover, the abundance of sex education resources for parents undermines Johnson’s claim. If parents were truly unwilling to have these conversations, there would be little demand for such materials.

As for his second claim—that parents’ support for removing sexually explicit books for minors from libraries shows a reluctance to discuss sex with their children—this, too, is false.

There are several reasons parents might support such removals that are unrelated to their personal attitudes toward sex or their willingness to discuss it with their children:

• adherence to age-appropriate standards grounded in decades of child and adolescent development research
• a desire to ensure taxpayer funds provide clear community benefit
• concern about exposing minors to harmful material
• a view of the library’s purpose that excludes prurient content

These reasons are consistently articulated by child protection advocates, making Johnson’s apparent unfamiliarity with them surprising.

The Sex Ed Argument, Part 2

9:33—Johnson said, “There has to be some type of way that we’re teaching young adults about puberty, about the changes that are happening to their body, and about the realities that are happening around them.”

Needless to say, parents—who are most invested in a child’s flourishing and are legally responsible for their well-being—should be the decision-makers in this regard, not society at large, and certainly not individuals unrelated to, or unknown to, the child.

It should be noted that Johnson is indirectly arguing that his book and similarly explicit books are educational, and therefore beneficial to minors. Decide for yourself by reading this report.

Johnson Calls Wallace a Liar, Part 2

10:27—Wallace said she’s found All Boys Aren’t Blue in elementary school libraries in Texas. Johnson vigorously shook his head and said, “She hasn’t.”

Johnson’s objection is hard to understand. If his book is indeed educational, he should welcome its presence in school libraries.

He devoted almost all of his remarks to arguing that libraries need more books about sex, yet his instinctive response to Wallace’s claim inadvertently concedes that his own book crosses the line, at least for elementary-aged readers. This contradicts his assertion that “all books belong in libraries.”

Wallace did, in fact, find Johnson’s book in several Texas elementary school libraries—one in McAllen ISD, one in Edinburg ISD, and three in Houston ISD (Oak Forest, Bell, and Stevens Elementary). And this was based on only a cursory search; most Texas elementary school libraries were not examined.

McAllen and Edinburg removed Johnson’s book after Wallace notified their administrations that it is prohibited in Texas prisons due to its explicit content; Houston removed the book for unknown reasons.

Incidentally, All Boys Aren’t Blue is also found in elementary schools outside Texas, including Garrison Elementary (audiobook) and Mann Elementary (audiobook) in Washington, D.C.:

Catalog entry for All Boys Aren’t Blue audiobook at Garrison Elementary (Washington, D.C.)

Catalog entry for All Boys Aren’t Blue audiobook at Mann Elementary (Washington, D.C.)

Given the number of public elementary schools in the United States and the book’s notoriety, it is likely present in many other schools across the country as well.

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