Beware of the gay penguins, scream some parents of children attending Shiloh Elementary School located in Shiloh, Illinois. Surprise, surprise that people living in a town populated by only 11,000 people have a problem with homosexuals.

The fuss is over And Tango Makes Three, a children's book based on the true story of two male penguins in New York City's Central Park Zoo that adopted a fertilized egg and raised the chick as their own.

According to the Associated Press, some parents are complaining about the book's "homosexual undertones," arguing that the book tackles topics that their children aren't ready to handle.

Right. Children needn't concern themselves with silly little issues like diversity and tolerance. Besides, these penguins seem even scarier than the penguin in Batman Returns. The last thing they need is to read a book with positive portrayals of two species of the same sex caring for a child or in this case, a penguin. Think of the nightmares children will have.

Just what are these parents asking of the school district? They want And Tango Makes Three to slide on off the library's regular shelves and be placed in the section for mature audiences. Some are even suggesting that children obtain parental permission before a child can check it out.

According to the article, though a panel the Superintendent of the school district appointed agreed with such recommendations, the book is safe...for now. The district attorney has warned Superintendent Jennifer Filyaw that such a move might be construed as censorship.

I'm sure someone has already quiped back that censorship is irrelevant when battling the "homosexual agenda."

Just what are people afraid of.?

Lilly Del Pinto thought the book looked charming when her 5-year-old daughter brought it home in September. Del Pinto said she was halfway through reading it to her daughter "when the zookeeper said the two penguins must be in love."

"That's when I ended the story," she said.

Oh...that. Of course. Who wouldn't need protection from that?