Several incoming freshmen at Duke University have refused to read a summer book option due to its gay themes and sexual imagery.

In Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, out author Alison Bechdel looks at her life and her relationship with her closeted father.

According to the Duke Chronicle, several freshmen have complained about the book's sexual images and themes, saying they conflict with their religious beliefs.

“I feel as if I would have to compromise my personal Christian moral beliefs to read it,” wrote Brian Grasso in the Class of 2019 Facebook page.

Freshman Jeffrey Wubbenhorst agreed, saying in an email that the novel's format “means that content that I might have consented to read in print now violates my conscience due to its pornographic nature.”

In a statement given to CNN, Duke defended the book's inclusion.

“Duke has had a summer reading for many years to give incoming students a shared intellectual experience with other members of the class,” said Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations.. “Fun Home was ultimately chosen because it is a unique and moving book that transcends genres and explores issues that students are likely to confront.”