Republicans Propose Federal “Don’t Say Gay” Bill: Book Censorship News, October 21, 2022

It was lone a substance of clip earlier the “Don’t Say Gay” measure of Florida and the question of akin anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed passim the state made its mode to the national level.

Congressman Mike Johnson (Louisiana) introduced the “Stop the Sexualization of Children” Act into the House this week. The measure would “prohibit the usage of Federal funds to develop, implement, facilitate, oregon money immoderate sexually-oriented program, event, oregon lit for children nether the property of 10, and for different purposes.” The measure would disallow backing for immoderate enactment — from libraries to schools to aesculapian facilities and much — offering immoderate materials oregon programming related to “sexually oriented material” to radical nether the property of 10. The vagueness of this explanation is precisely the point, arsenic it would unfastened the doorway for immense mentation and would not lone pb to censorship but would pb to the persecution of immoderate idiosyncratic who does not align with perceived notions of “appropriate.”

As writer Alejandra Cabarello points out, the proviso wrong the measure for “Private Right of Action” is an unfastened bounty for individuals to record lawsuits against anyone utilizing national funds, banning immoderate and each treatment of LGBTQ+ radical and topics wherein determination mightiness beryllium children nether 10.

This means a queer simple schoolhouse pedagogue whitethorn beryllium incapable to bash their job, simply due to the fact that they are queer. Or due to the fact that they amusement a movie that 1 genitor whitethorn disagree with and take to construe arsenic intersexual indoctrination.

It means a queer doc successful a nationalist infirmary could beryllium sued simply for being queer. A logo that looks excessively suspiciously “like a rainbow flag” could trigger lawsuits.

And it means anyone could record a suit against a room for having queer materials successful the children’s area, adjacent if those materials are age-appropriate.

So galore of america person seen this coming, and present that it’s here, if you haven’t been making calls and sending emails to your representatives, this needs to beryllium the crushed that you do. Every bushed successful the measure is laden with the connection being utilized by groups similar Moms For Liberty and their ilk, creating a motivation panic astir the sexualization of children that does not exist.

Whether oregon not specified a instrumentality passes is moot close now. That it was drafted says everything you request to know. That it is being considered is simply a frightening world of wherever we are arsenic a nine close now. We are not progressive nor unfastened minded, and we ne'er person been.

Now, it’s simply being legislated.

Absolutely nary of this should beryllium astonishing if you’ve been paying attention. It was coming.

Remember: it was never, it is never, and it volition ne'er beryllium astir the books.

It’s astir the systematic erasure of radical who bash not acceptable the white, cishet, capable bodied Christian nationalist mold.

• Poway Unified School District (CA) has pulled 2 books for review successful the schoolhouse library. Only 1 publication is named — Gender Queer — and 1 genitor claims determination are 100 much that request to beryllium reviewed. Removing the books portion reviewing them is inactive censorship.
• “Cindy Rose, a campaigner connected the Education Not Indoctrination slate, shared a database of 35 books earlier opening her nationalist remark astatine the Frederick County Board of Education’s gathering Wednesday.” This is successful Maryland. This…is virtually their platform.
• Members of a religion radical person been showing up astatine the Bartholomew Public Library (IN) complaining astir books they deliberation are inappropriate. Complainers accidental books should beryllium moved to much due areas of the room (Gender Queer, for example, is successful the big conception but someway that’s not appropriate?). Of course, it’s not agelong earlier you find retired “we privation the books moved to much due places” means “not successful the room astatine all.” Hundreds of radical showed up astatine the committee gathering this week.
• “Republican Gubernatorial nominee for Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano, argued for books to beryllium banned but said it was ‘not a publication ban.'” I emotion however publication bans aren’t publication bans. Doublespeak astatine its finest.
• Parents complained astir inappropriate books — nary of which are named — astatine the Fairport Public Schools (NY). The territory isn’t going to instrumentality immoderate action.
• A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal The Heart will stay connected shelves successful Sumner County Schools (TN).
• The pursuing books are being reviewed aft being challenged astatine Old Rochester Regional High School (MA): All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin, Flamer by Mike Curato, Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison, Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
• The Lafayette Parish Library (LA) committee president who advocates publication banning was elected to service for different year.
• What Girls Are Made Of has been nether occurrence astatine St. Joseph Public Schools (MI) and now determination are 11 much books being challenged.
• “Wingate said his draught argumentation connected sexually explicit materials is conscionable a archetypal measurement and volition beryllium modeled done the comments of his chap committee members. He said the draught is stronger than the exemplary authorities argumentation and determination is nary bully crushed to person sexually explicit materials successful school. […] He said portion parents person the close to find what their children read, taxpayers shouldn’t beryllium required to money it and that he’s appalled that immoderate find literate merit successful a begetter discussing raping his 11-year-old girl arsenic helium said is included successful 1 of the books.” This is Madison County, Virginia.
• 33 books person been challenged successful Spotsylvania schools this twelvemonth (VA). The lists and their contented — perfectly nary surprises connected either — are here.
• All Boys Aren’t Blue is being challenged successful Gettysburg Public Schools (PA).
• Three books challenged astatine Durham District Schools (Ontario, Canada) will stay connected shelves.
• Why is determination a constabulary serviceman astatine the Huntsville Public Library (TX) reviewing books? I bash not person an answer, determination are nary articles astir it, and yet, weird things person been happening astatine this library, wherein the city medication seems to deliberation they tally the nationalist library.
• Here’s the landscape connected publication bans successful occidental New York.
• In Kenosha County, Wisconsin, a region committee supervisor has caused a disturbance implicit the publication Homegoing because he doesn’t similar however slavery is depicted. The publication was selected for the nationalist library’s Big Read lawsuit for the coming year.
• This communicative retired of Maple Valley, Michigan, showcases however the propulsion to prohibition books is not truly astir the books astatine each and the mis- and disinformation is actively harming people.
• “A draught of Fauquier County Public Schools’ [VA] caller argumentation addressing students vulnerability to sexually explicit contented successful the schoolroom volition beryllium presented to the School Board connected Nov. 14, according to the Deputy Superintendent Major Warner.” Make immoderate of this marque sense.