Why Has Trump Banned Julianne Moore’s Book About A Girl With Red Hair And Freckles?
Julianne Moore’s Freckleface Strawberry is on a list of library books paused for a “compliance review” after Trump’s latest executive order. This kids’ story about a girl with red hair and freckles learning to accept herself has sparked a fuss.
Moore, who is a major ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, isn’t taking it quietly. She’s shown support backing marriage equality and starring in Freeheld, a 2015 film about a lesbian couple’s fight for rights. So what’s the deal?
Last Monday, the Department of Defense sent out a memo. They’re checking library books in schools for kids of US military folks and civilian defence workers. The focus? Anything that might touch on “gender ideology” or “discriminatory equity ideology.” All library books got pulled for a week.
After that, some stayed off shelves for more digging. Moore’s Freckleface Strawberry made the list, according to The Guardian. No word yet if it’s just under review or gone for good. The Department says this is part of a bigger look at all “instructional resources” to match Trump’s orders like Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.
Confusing, right? Especially for a book about freckles.
Moore’s the Mary And George and The Lost World star who wrote this book for her kids. It’s about finding strength in the community. She’s stunned it’s banned. “It’s a great shock,” she said on Instagram Sunday. She went to a Defense Department school in Frankfurt. Her dad’s a Vietnam vet. “I could not be prouder of him,” she wrote. That’s why it hurts her that kids like her might miss out. “What is so controversial about this picture book?” she asked.
Moore’s not just upset. She’s shocked this is happening in a country big on free speech. “I am truly saddened and never thought I would see this,” she said. For her, it’s personal. She’s proud of her roots and her dad’s service.
This whole thing raises questions. What makes a book about freckles a threat? How far will these reviews go? Moore’s left shaking her head, and honestly, so are we. Her book’s fate is still up in the air. For now, it’s caught in a web of rules aimed at changing what kids read.
