The next book in my Amigurumi Banned Book collection is Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe. This books very existence is necessary for many reasons, not the least of which according to Kobabe “The words available failed to describe the experience (of being non-binary).” -NYT 5/5/2022 When Kobabe began publishing black and white comics that would become the memoir and posting them online “‘People started responding with things like, ‘I had no idea anyone else felt this way, I didn’t even know that there were words for this’,” -NYT 5/5/2022. As a child and family counselor with nearly 20 years of experience I am painfully aware of the need for young people especially to find the right language and be able to communicate with others including their own families. Without that language, and that communication, harm and pain often fester. Banning any book, especially one that can bring language and understanding where it is lacking is just wrong.