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one minnesota public school districts The company has defended its decision to remove an LGBTQ children’s book from elementary school shelves despite pushback from some parents and school librarians.
Rochester Public Schools said it removed Emily Neilson’s 2022 book “Rainbow Parade” last month after a parent at Franklin Elementary School raised concerns about nude illustrations in the book The book.
The book tells the story of a little girl and her two moms attending their first Pride parade. pages in the book With illustrations Depicts full or partial public nudity, including two men wearing bondage gear.
Participants hold rainbow flags during the Pride Parade in Bangkok, Thailand, June 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
“The sidewalk outside was packed with people waiting for the parade to start. Everyone was wearing something that made them feel most like themselves. Even if that meant wearing next to nothing,” the text reads.
After a parent raised concerns, a committee of librarians, community members and teachers reviewed the book and ultimately recommended the district keep the book on its shelves, The reported. minnesota star tribune.
“Not all books are appropriate for everyone, but our goal is to have books that represent all students in our district,” the report states.
San Francisco Pride Grand Marshal poll-selected Vinny Eng greets the crowd at the 52nd Annual San Francisco Pride Parade and Celebration on June 26, 2022 in San Francisco, California. ((Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))
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However, principal Kent Paykel decided to remove the book from the elementary school library, saying the nudity contained in it was inappropriate for young children.
“I decided to delete this book directly Rainbow Parade The content on the shelves of our elementary school media centers is not intended to limit students’ access to views, information, ideas, or opinions. It’s based entirely on the description and celebration of public nudity found in two pages of illustrations in the book. In my opinion, the depiction of public nudity makes this book inappropriate for placement on an open shelf in an elementary school media center where a kindergarten student could read this book without adult supervision or guidance,” he wrote.
School board members expressed mixed opinions about the principal’s decision, with some members wondering aloud whether removing the book would send the district down a “slippery slope” and set a “precedent” for removing other LGBTQ books from school libraries.
The board gave final approval to sending the superintendent’s recommendation to the Minnesota Department of Education, the Tribune reported.
GLSEN’s “Rainbow Libraries” program provides free LGBTQ+ affirming literature to schools across the U.S. (GLSEN, AZ/YouTube)
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After the topic was raised at the Jan. 7 school board meeting, and after a parent repeatedly lost his temper, Superintendent Pekel vowed that the school’s commitment to LGBTQ students and families would “not back down.” Angry about school district’s decision.
“There will be no regression in books that celebrate the lived experiences of LGBTQ students and families,” he promised.
He also clarified that the nudity itself was the reason for his decision, rather than some of the other potentially offensive content in the book, such as two men in bondage gear or a protest sign that read “Silence equals death.”
When reached for comment, Rochester Public Schools provided fox news numbers and Pekel’s previous memo to the board.
The district’s decision comes amid questions from parents about sexually explicit books in school libraries.
The problem of sexually explicit LGBTQ books in public schools has parents on both sides voicing their opinions on the matter at school board meetings. (David McNew/Getty Images)
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The American Library Association (ALA), the world’s oldest and largest library nonprofit organization, has been an outspoken advocate for “banned” books in children’s libraries. 2023, Top 10 Most Challenging Books All were challenged for sexually explicit content.
During National Library Week last year, the American Library Association claimed there was “censorship” of sexually explicit books in the United States children’s library It’s discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
