The main character’s grandfather informs the 12-year-old boy that he is a crossdresser.
A Maryland middle school required students to read a book this summer in which a 12-year-old boy is encouraged to question his sexual orientation, another child undergoes a gender transition, and a third kid dances as a drag queen.
Westland Middle School, part of Montgomery County Public Schools, selected Rick by Alex Gino as its “anchor text,” making it required reading for all incoming sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students.
“We think you will love the exploration of self-expression and exploring your own identity through the eyes of Rick! Gino’s book will enable us to explore gender identity, self-expression, friendships, and learn the importance of standing up for one another,” the school’s website states.
Other schools and public libraries have also encouraged students to read the book over the summer, including Roland Park Country School and Howard County Library System in Maryland, and Dover-Sherborn Middle School in Massachusetts.
In the book, 12-year-old Rick becomes convinced he’s asexual after hearing about various sexual orientations at the “Rainbow Spectrum” after-school club for “LGBTQIAP+ rights.”
The club encourages Rick to question whether he’s gay and to reflect on what his pronouns are. Rick also questions how people know if they are girls or boys school after a student named Melissa tells Rick she’s a trans girl.
After hearing the definition of “asexuality,” Rick searches the term on the computer and assures himself that he is asexual because “he’s never had a crush” on a girl or boy, and has never “had that tingling in his pants grown-ups talk about” when thinking about another person.
Rick’s father and sister tell him he’s too young to be thinking about his sexual orientation, but Rick persists on identifying as asexual.
Rick’s grandfather also reveals to him that he likes to crossdress, and takes Rick to an event while he’s dressed as a woman.
At the end of the book, the students in “Rainbow Spectrum” put on a cabaret for money in which one students dances as a drag queen.
When assigning the book, Westland Middle School’s goal was to “continue to raise awareness of the value of our diversity and to take a stand as allies when we see injustice,” according to its website.
Students were asked to complete an assignment after reading the book, including answering questions like “How do I define gender? What does gender mean to me? What are my first memories of learning about gender?”
The middle schoolers were told to talk to a friend or family member about “What would a world look like without gender?” and “Does gender matter? Why, why not?”
They were then presented with a “glossary of terms” covering different genders and an online game about “gender identity terms” covering what it means to be trans, genderqueer, pronouns, genderfluid, asexual, and bisexual. It also defined crossdressers and drag queens.
Westland Middle School’s middle years program coordinator and principal did not respond to multiple inquiries from National Review. Montgomery County Public Schools and the Board of Education also did not reply.