With her divisive campaign video, Republican candidate Valentina Gomez for Missouri secretary of state has generated a great deal of controversy. She attacks literature that she claims sexualize, mislead, and indoctrinate young readers. The video, which has garnered over a million views, highlights two specific books that Gomez asserts she took from a Missouri public library: “Queer, 2nd Edition: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens” by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke and “Naked: Not Your Average Sex Encyclopedia” by Myriam Daguzan Bernier.
Gomez confidently states, “As Secretary of State, I will remove all books that groom, indoctrinate, and sexualize our children,” situating her action within a wider narrative. Her stance is consistent with state-wide efforts that include reviewing and potentially eliminating books from school libraries that deal with racism, gender identity, and sexuality and are deemed unsuitable for younger readers.
Discussions on the campaign film have been kicked off in a variety of forums, sometimes delving beyond the platforms’ guidelines for “hateful conduct.” Such dramatic demonstrations are not uncommon in Missouri politics; state senator and 2024 candidate for governor of Missouri, Bill Eigel, destroyed cardboard boxes with a flamethrower in a symbolic protest against “woke pornographic books” and purported liberal corruption.
More than 40 states have experienced an increase in legislation since the start of 2021 with the goal of limiting discussions on critical race theory, sexism, and racism in the classroom. Gomez’s campaign film serves as a great illustration of Missouri’s contribution to a broader national conversation. Going into the continuing arguments regarding censorship, instructional material content, and governmental control over these issues, Gomez shows her readiness to tackle controversial topics by bringing out her flamethrower.