Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) went viral by reading an explicit sex scene at a Senate hearing that began with the description, “I began to slide into him from behind…”

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias (D) testified Tuesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Book Bans: Examining How Censorship Limits Liberty and Literature.”

Republicans and activists have turned book bans and restrictions into a contentious political issue, but Illinois has passed a law banning the banning of books.

In a moment flagged online by Aaron Rupar, Kennedy interrogated Giannoulias by reading aloud explicit passages from the books “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and “Gender Queer,” which have been banned in certain libraries:

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I confess I’m a little confused and I appreciate the argument that we’ve, our discussion that we’ve been having. But for me, it’s a little too conceptual or I don’t know, metaphysical or geological or whatever you want to call it. I want to try to understand what you’re asking us to do.

Let’s take two books that have been much discussed. The first one is called “All Boys Aren’t Blue.”

And I will quote from it.

“I put some lube on and got him on his knees. And I began to slide into him from behind. I pulled out of him and kissed him while he masturbated.

He asked me to turn over while he slipped a condom on himself. This was my ass, and I was struggling to imagine someone inside me. He got on top and slowly inserted himself into me. It was the worst pain I think I have ever felt in my life.

Eventually, I felt a mix of pleasure with the pain.”.

Closed quote. “All Boys Aren’t Blue.”.

The second is a another much discussed book. I’m sure you’re familiar with it. It’s called Gender Queer. Okay. Let me read an excerpt from that. Quote.

“I got a new strap on. Strap on harness today. I can’t wait to put it on you. It will fit my favorite dildo perfectly. You’re going to look so hot. I can’t wait to have your cock in my mouth. I’m going to give you the blowjob of your life. Then I want you inside of me.”.

End quote. Now, Mr. Secretary, what are you asking us to do? Are you suggesting that only librarians should decide whether the two books that I just referenced should be available to kids? Is that what you’re saying?

In the full exchange, Secretary Gionnoulias and Mr. Cameron Samuels — another witness and the co-founder of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas — tried their best to explain their position to Kennedy, and Giannoulias also remarked on Kennedy’s delivery:

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Okay. Tell me what you’re saying.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: Well, first of all…

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Don’t give me a speech. Tell me what you’re asking me to do.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: With all due respect, Senator, the words you spoke are disturbing. Especially coming out of your mouth is very disturbing. But I would. What I would also tell you that we’re not advocating for kids to report, to Senator Booker’s point.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: What are you advocating for?

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: We are advocating for parents, random parents not to have the ability under the guise of keeping kids safe, to try and challenge the worldview of every single manner on these issues.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: You’re getting conceptual again.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: I’m not going to conceptual…

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Yes, you are, because… I want to know what you’re recommending. It sounds to me like what some of you are saying: The librarians should decide who gets to see that book.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: I’m saying when you’re making, when individual parents are allowed to make a decision of what where that line is and To Kill a Mockingbird, which involves a rape scene, should that book be pulled from our libraries? I think it becomes a slippery slope.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: I think you ought to think about it a little bit more before you come here. I’ve thought about that. You’re going to propose something. You ought to be able in 30 seconds to be able to explain what you’re asking us to do. Miss Kelly, what do you understand? Well, let me skip for a second. Mr.. Mi– Cameron, tell me what you’re you’re proposing.

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: It’s pronounced “mix” and the.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Mix? Is that how y-? How would you like me to refer to you?

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: Senator. Your definition of sexual is synonymous with LGBTQ identity.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: I’m asking you that. I’m asking you to tell me you read those two excerpts. Do you think that. Are you asking that only librarians and not parents have any say and whether minors can read those books? Is that what you’re saying?

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: Gender Queer has never been in my school library, so it’s never been banned.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Suppose it was. Should it be up just to the librarian or should parents have a say?

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: There should be facilitation of collaboration between parents.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Should parents have a say.

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: Parents should be working with students and educators to be making decisions because students.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: And who decides ultimately the librarian? Or do you take a vote or who takes the vote?

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: Book review committees in the community and my school district.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: You want a committee? To decide?

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: There are committees.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Okay, Well, I’m asking you. How do we decide whether the two books that I just referenced should be available in the library? What what would you, if you were if you were running things, what would you do?

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: All boys Aren’t Blue. The scene you mentioned is about sexual abuse. It’s not erotic.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: I know what it’s about. It’s not. What would you do in terms of making the books available? Would you say anybody can see them or they have to be in the special session?

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: Students who do not read books like All Boys Aren’t Blue cannot learn what is appropriate.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: I understand that…

MX. CAMERON SAMUELS: That they cannot learn about abuse.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: But none how they want to answer my question. You come here and you say censorship is bad and of course it’s bad. But the obvious response is, okay, you heard the books we’re talking about. Okay, owe’re not talking about Catcher in the Rye. So tell me what you want. Who gets to decide? And all I’ve heard is the librarians. And parents have nothing to do with it. And if that’s your response, what planet did you just parachute in from?

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: Parents.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Senator, what country? More appropriately, this is not China.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: Parents, Senator, all due respect, parents absolutely have a say. My parents were immigrants, came to this country. We never checked our books without our parents seeing what what books we were reading. They encouraged us to read books.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Secretary, I understand this is good for your politics back home.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: It’s got nothing to do with my politics, my bill has pased.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Of course it does, it has everything to do with politics. You came here with a problem, and I’m trying to understand the solution. And you don’t have one.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: We solve this issue. We solved the solution in Illinois.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: other than to tell us that we don’t agree with you, you’re on the wrong. We’ll be on the wrong side of history.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: We solved the problem in Illinois. We fixed it because we.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: Well, there are others you could work on. I’m out of time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS: That’s why I’m here, to help other states make these decisions.

As Chairman Dick Durbin wrapped up the hearing, Kennedy joked “I’ve got some more books I can read!” to which Durbin replied, “I’m sure you do!”

Watch above via C-SPAN.

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