Ministry of Family and Social Services Committee for the Protection of Minors from Malicious Publications made an interesting decision recently regarding Alice Oseman’s book ‘Heart Palpitation’, which tells the story of two gay characters.
According to the Board’s decision published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, the two-volume book was determined as “to have a harmful effect on the morale of those under the age of 18”. In the decision published about the book, which was declared obscene because it has harmful content for children, “As a result of the ex officio examination of the book named ‘Heart Palpitation vol-1; vol-2’ by our Board, it was determined that some articles in the book would have a harmful effect on the spirituality of those under the age of 18. For this reason, it was unanimously decided that the book in question be subject to the limitations in Article 4 of Law No. 1117 as amended by Law No. 3266.
Sold in a sealed envelope labeled ‘harmful to minors’:
After the decision taken, the images in which the book was offered for sale in closed envelopes and with the phrase ‘harmful to minors’ were published on social media. The book tells the story of Charlie and Nick, who study at the same school and first become close friends and then fall in love.
This decision, which was put into practice at a time when the colors of the rainbow were considered a crime and the idea that homosexuality was ‘one thing’ was emulated, received a reaction on social media. Many Twitter users chose to criticize this sale of the book in a humorous way. At the same time, it was shared that the sales of the book on the internet were also stopped.
Reactions from Twitter:
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