Last week, author Maia Kobabe, who identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns “e, em and eir,” explained that while her book might be appropriate for “older teens,” she does not recommend it for children.

“It keeps being called a children’s book … but I think that’s coming from a misreading of the comic-book form. ‘Gender Queer’ is a comic, and in full color, but that doesn’t mean it’s for children. I originally wrote it for my parents, and then for older teens who were already asking these questions about themselves. I don’t recommend this book for kids!” she told The Washington Post in an interview published last week.

[We can debate the use of the comic-book form too, especially in this case. Perhaps it wasn’t her intention, but by using that form, Kobabe made it appealing to kids and at least confusing for adults with responsibility to discern appropriateness. That’s the same argument that the government used against the tobacco and alcohol industries for using animated and comic-book characterizations to sell their products, after all. So why not apply those same restrictions against the sex-change industry? — Ed]