The Quebec National Assembly today unanimously adopted a proposal submitted by MP Sol Zanetti of the Quebec Solidarity Party (QS) to support the two Quebecois writers Myriam Daguzan Bernier and Élise Gravel.

It is noted that a book by Daguzan Bernier was burned by an American politician, while Gravel’s works were placed out of sight in the Jewish Public Library in Montreal.

The text of the proposal submitted by MP Zanetti, which also confirms the support of the Quebec Solidarity Party (left-wing) for the illustrator Cécile Gariepy, the illustrator of the book "Tout nu" (Completely Naked) by Daguzan Bernier, stated that "the National Assembly is concerned about the latest episodes of censorship targeting Quebec books."

MP Zanetti added in his proposal, "The National Assembly renews its support for freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of exchange of ideas."

American politician Valentina Gomez, the Republican candidate for Secretary of State in Missouri, posted on Tuesday on the "X" platform (formerly "Twitter") a video showing her burning the book "Naked," the English translation of Daguzan Bernier's "Tout nu," along with another book aimed at LGBTQ+ teenagers.

Daguzan Bernier is a sexologist, and her book, full of colorful illustrations and published in 2019, is presented as "a kind dictionary of sexual life" aimed at teenagers aged 13 and over.

The book includes simplified explanations of many topics and terms related to sexual life—from sexual orientation and gender identity to sexually transmitted diseases, through the principle of consent to sexual relations and many other related matters.

"When I become Secretary of State (in Missouri), I will burn every book that implants ideas in our children's minds and genderizes them," Gomez wrote in her post, which ends with the slogan "Make America Great Again" (MAGA), widely adopted and popularized by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Gravel’s books kept out of sight in a Jewish library in Montreal
As for author and illustrator Élise Gravel, one of the most famous children’s book authors in Quebec, she faced severe criticism due to her online posts, and a Jewish library removed her works from public view.

Since the outbreak of the current war between the Palestinian Hamas movement and the State of Israel four months ago, Gravel expressed her views on social media, accusing the Israeli government of bombing children and suppressing Palestinians.

Gravel’s comments upset some members of the Jewish community in Montreal. In response, the Jewish Public Library of Montreal removed the Quebec author's books from its open shelves, while the "Canadian Institute for Jewish Affairs" (CIJA), representing Jewish federations in Canada, accused her of anti-Semitism.

However, Gravel denied this accusation. "No, my posts are not anti-Semitic," she wrote

The Jewish Public Library told CBC News that Gravel is "one of the most beloved children's book authors in Quebec" and that her work is "widely recognized for its contributions to children's literature."

"Although the content of her books is not objectively offensive, we decided to move them from our open shelves to closed stacks," the library added in a statement.

This process "ensures that the books remain available through our catalog, while acknowledging the sensitivities surrounding the author's social media posts," the Jewish Public Library, which is not part of the Montreal municipality, clarified.

It is noted that the Quebec National Assembly unanimously condemned a year ago the banning by some American schools of a book by Gravel titled "Pink, Blue and You!" (Le rose, le bleu et toi), which addresses sexual orientation and gender identity.