A California group positioned to shape the future of Artificial Intelligence regulation for children believes drag queens are positive role models for 4-year-olds.
Common Sense Media, a California nonprofit with a stated <a href="https://www.commonsense.org/">mission</a> to protect kids online, gave a children&#8217;s show featuring two male drag queens a <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-fabulous-show-with-fay-fluffy">perfect</a> child safety score and recommended it for kids ages 4 and up. &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGyr45BKn_o&amp;list=PL2F3nYtGth8cylKCts9if0EkyoZF1FRiI">The Fabulous Show With Fay &amp; Fluffy</a>&#8221; received a 5/5 star rating and was praised for offering positive role models, having educational value, and showcasing diversity.
Bluey, the popular family-friendly cartoon, was outshined by the drag queens and only received a 4/5 star rating.
Common Sense Media provides safety reviews of movies, books, and video games through a vast database that includes many positive reviews for LGBTQ+ content aimed at young children. The nonprofit has an entire <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/celebrate-lgbtq-pride">webpage</a> devoted to &#8220;LGBTQ+ Stories for the Whole Family.&#8221;
&#8220;From affirming, relatable stories about queer kids and teens, to history-making moments and figures on screen, LGBTQ+ representation in media is increasing. Now, kids have more choices that reflect their world and lived experiences, whether they&#8217;re queer, straight, trans, cisgender, or figuring it all out,&#8221; states its website.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1071609" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.51.41-PM-736x576.png" alt="" width="736" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.51.41-PM-736x576.png 736w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.51.41-PM-300x235.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.51.41-PM-768x601.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.51.41-PM-1536x1202.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.51.41-PM.png 1766w" sizes=" (max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px" /></div>
Recent reports say it&#8217;s attempting to extract millions of dollars from AI companies to help them self-regulate in the litigious environment. It&#8217;s simultaneously supporting legislation in California that would require AI chatbot products to submit to regulation from groups like Common Sense Media.
The nonprofit, which claims it&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/what-we-stand-for/tech-accountability">holding tech companies accountable</a>,&#8221; is asking for millions of dollars to launch a new institute focused on providing safety assessments for AI products, according to reporting from <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/04/key-nonprofit-pitches-tech-giants-to-pay-100m-each-for-ai-safety-effort-00853205?site=pro&amp;prod=alert&amp;prodname=alertmail&amp;linktype=headline&amp;source=email">Politico</a>. Common Sense Media offered the tech companies the opportunity to provide input on the safety assessments if they provided a donation, Politico reported.
Its current ratings, however, indicate it&#8217;s in no position to assess what is appropriate for children.
The group recommends transgender content for 4-year-olds, including &#8220;I Am Jazz,&#8221; which it <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/i-am-jazz">calls</a> a &#8220;Sweet, straightforward story about a transgender girl.&#8221; It also <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/jacobs-new-dress#modal">recommends</a> &#8220;Jacob&#8217;s New Dress,&#8221; a story about a young boy who likes to crossdress and was written by parents of a &#8220;gender-nonconforming child,&#8221; and “Sparkle Boy,” the <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/sparkle-boy">story</a> of a 3-year-old boy who “loves all the glittery stuff his older sister loves” and “causes a stir” when he crossdresses.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1071613" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.58.10-PM-844x576.png" alt="" width="844" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.58.10-PM-844x576.png 844w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.58.10-PM-300x205.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.58.10-PM-768x524.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.58.10-PM-1536x1048.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.58.10-PM.png 1864w" sizes=" (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px" /></div>
Common Sense Media also <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/marleys-pride">recommends</a> &#8220;Marley&#8217;s Pride,&#8221; the &#8220;joyful&#8221; story of “Marley and their grandparent&#8221; who identify as nonbinary and attend their first pride celebration together.
“RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Show” is <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/rupauls-drag-race">recommended</a> for teenagers 15 and older and called a program that promotes &#8220;self-love and compassion for heavily marginalized communities.&#8221; The review tells parents to expect &#8220;lots of sexual innuendo, including references to various sex acts and partial nudity, mostly bare torsos&#8221; and warns it includes strong language and sexual terms such as &#8220;f&#8211;k,&#8221; &#8220;s&#8211;t,&#8221; &#8220;doggy style,&#8221; but notes these words are mostly used &#8220;for tongue-in-cheek humor and camp.&#8221;
The nonprofit also has an education wing and has partnered with schools to provide training about media and online safety to more than <a href="https://www.commonsense.org/">1.4 million</a> educators, according to its website. Common Sense Media has also worked with the <a href="https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/dc/index.asp">California Department of Education</a> and the <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/common-sense-educations-digital-literacy-curriculum-selected-as-connecticuts-statewide-model-for-k-12#:~:text=%22Connecticut%20has%20taken%20an%20important,new%20technological%20developments%20and%20challenges">Connecticut State Department of Education</a>, who announced in February 2025 that they were implementing the nonprofit&#8217;s K–12 Digital Citizenship <a href="https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship">Curriculum</a> statewide.
Common Sense Media provides <a href="https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/supporting-lgbtq-students-in-the-classroom-and-online">ways</a> teachers can create LGBTQ+ inclusive classrooms, telling them, &#8220;Your courage is critical. Know that you may be the only adult in a kid&#8217;s life who shows acceptance &#8212; their only oasis,&#8221; according to its website. Teachers are recommended to funnel gender confused students to transgender activist groups like the Trevor Project and PFLAG.
Common Sense Media now has its eyes on shaping the safety standards of artificial intelligence products for kids. Common Sense Media is <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/featured-content/files/common-sense-media-2026-ca-legislative-priorities.pdf">supporting</a> two <a href="https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/news/assemblymembers-bauer-kahan-and-wicks-and-senator-padilla-introduce-legislation-protect">California</a> bills aiming to regulate AI chatbot products for minors.
&#8220;Because of the potential risks of AI to children and teens, California must take the lead in establishing a process for vetting the impact of AI products and services on kids,&#8221; states a Common Sense Media <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/featured-content/files/common-sense-media-2026-ca-legislative-priorities.pdf">document</a>.
California Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan introduced <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2023">AB 2023</a> in <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billHistoryClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1119">February 2026</a> saying the bill will establish &#8220;nation-leading safety standards for AI companions used by children and teens,&#8221; in a <a href="https://bauer-kahan.asmdc.org/press-releases/20260326-assemblymembers-bauer-kahan-and-wicks-and-senator-padilla-introduce">press release</a>.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1071611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.52.27-PM-801x576.png" alt="" width="801" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.52.27-PM-801x576.png 801w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.52.27-PM-300x216.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.52.27-PM-768x552.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.52.27-PM-1536x1104.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.52.27-PM.png 1764w" sizes=" (max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px" /></div>
Chatbot operators will be required to undergo an annual safety assessment of any &#8220;child safety risks&#8221; posed by the AI chatbot if the bill becomes law.
&#8220;This bill would require an operator of a companion chatbot to&#8230;annually perform and document a comprehensive risk assessment to identify any child safety risk posed by the design, configuration, and operation of the companion chatbot that assesses, among other things, the likelihood of a covered harm,&#8221; states the bill.
One of the &#8220;covered harms&#8221; included in the bill is &#8220;gender identity&#8221; discrimination. California considers <a href="https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2022/11/The-Rights-of-Employees-who-are-Transgender-or-Gender-Nonconforming-Fact-Sheet_ENG.pdf">declining</a> to use a person&#8217;s preferred pronouns or not allowing a man to use the women&#8217;s bathroom forms of &#8220;gender identity&#8221; discrimination.
Under AB 2023 if an AI chatbot product is found to be unsafe by the safety assessment, the operator must make changes to the product and then undergo an independent compliance audit that, upon completion, will be submitted to the California Attorney General.
Common Sense Media is positioning itself to be the go-to for AI chatbot safety assessments and stands to play a powerful role in shaping how information is defined and disseminated, if California&#8217;s chatbot bills pass.
&#8220;Three of the people familiar said Common Sense will be positioned to become a default safety auditor in California for AI products aimed at kids,&#8221; Politico reported.
Public figures known for their transgender activism spoke at the March 2026 Common Sense <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/common-sense-summit-speakers-2026">Summit</a> on Kids And Families including <a class="gmail-team-profile-title gmail-link gmail-link--title" href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/common-sense-summit-speakers-2026#">Randi Weingarten</a>, President of The American Federation of Teachers, JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois, and Rob Bonta, Attorney General at the California Department of Justice. Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan also spoke at the summit.
Common Sense Media did not respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s requests for comment.

Drag3

It Says Drag Queens Are Safer For Kids Than Bluey. Now It Wants To Regulate AI For Children.

Artificial Intelligence

California

Children's Books

Entertainment

Transgender

Rebecca Bendheim, the author of a YA book for teen readers, posted on social media about deliberately designing the cover art to hide the book’s theme from parents while simultaneously advertising it to children.
“When Penguin [Random House] asked me what I wanted for my cover, I said I wanted it to be gay enough for queer kids and teens to clock it, but for homophobic parents to just think it’s a friendship story,” the author and middle school teacher bragged on Instagram.
The book in question is called “When You’re Brave Enough” and has a publication date of April 7, 2026. According to the <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/774613/when-youre-brave-enough-by-rebecca-bendheim/">publisher</a>, it is recommended for children ages 10 &#8211; 14.
“So I said, no holding hands, make my character look gay…” She went on to point out the subtle details she and the cover artist agreed on, including flowers growing between the pair to represent a crush that’s “growing.”
“So what do you think? Would you guess this was a queer book?” Bendheim asked her followers.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVoO88ojd5D/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
&nbsp;
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
&nbsp;
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVoO88ojd5D/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rebecca Bendheim (@rebeccabendheim)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
In a follow-up video, the author shows her book cover to random people on the street to see if they can guess what it’s about.
“Shoutout to the people who answered and to librarians who help kids and teens find subtle queer books if they need them,” she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVuH_7CDZfj/">wrote</a> in the caption. “I’m a firm believer that positive representation saves lives!! Would you be able to tell?”
Her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/good-morning-america-book-pick-for-teens-features-rape-threesomes-necrophilia">comments</a> come just after another YA book, “Sibylline” by Melissa de la Cruz, made headlines for including graphic sex scenes of necrophilia, threesomes, and rape. “Sibylline” is being promoted as a &#8220;Good Morning America&#8221; Book Club selection in their Young Adult category.
This has been a hot topic in the publishing community recently. There was a discussion about the importance of “representation” and a lot of hand-wringing over so-called book bans during a SXSW EDU panel on March 11. The panel was called, “Beyond Bans: Defending LGBTQ+ Stories and Literary Freedom.”
“The worst thing we could possibly do is let that fear stop us from continuing to make art,” author Casey McQuiston <a href="https://people.com/lgbtq-authors-targeted-by-book-bans-exclusive-11925852">said</a> at the time, per People. “And not only to make art, but to go out into public libraries to visit, to go out into schools.”
McQuiston’s author page describes her as a “bestselling author of queer romantic comedies.” The most famous of these, “Red, White, &amp; Royal Blue,” is for adults, but she also wrote the YA romantic mystery, “I Kissed Shara Wheeler.”

Book with bookmark and rainbow ribbon of LGBT pride.

Author Proudly Says She Made Book Cover Gay Enough For Kids But Invisible To Parents

Books

LGBTQ

Social Issues

U.S.

As schools and libraries nationwide kick off events for the beginning of National Reading Month, Second Lady Usha Vance joined in the celebration by reading to young patients at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Vance held the event for patients ages 3 to 12 on Monday, March 2, per a press release from her office. The second lady selected “The Sneetches and Other Stories” by Dr. Seuss, which she mentioned was one of her favorite books to read with her own children. It was also the perfect choice for Monday, which happened to be Dr. Seuss’ birthday.
 “Childhood literacy is something that’s very important to me, both as a parent and as someone who grew up reading avidly,” Vance said. “In particular, when children are spending a lot of time in the hospital it’s important that they have access to books, both as entertainment and to ensure they develop the essential literacy skills they will need for the rest of their lives. It’s an honor to spend time with these children and to encourage them to keep reading after they complete their stay here at the hospital.”
The second lady further delighted the young patients by handing out puzzles, stuffed animals, and books after the event. She told the audience that she hosted the event because she loved reading as a child and hoped to encourage children to keep reading voraciously.
“The visit from Second Lady Usha Vance during National Reading Month beautifully reinforces the importance of reading and storytelling in a child’s development and healing journey,” said Elizabeth Wells, MD, MHS, executive vice president, chief clinical officer, and physician-in-chief at Children’s National, noting that the patients could enormously benefit from getting lost in the pages of books. 
“Books can provide comfort, connection and a sense of normalcy for children in the hospital. We are sincerely thankful for her time, her compassion and her commitment to supporting kids and families.”
Earlier this year, the Vance family <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/most-pro-family-administration-vances-announce-they-are-expecting-their-fourth-baby-in-july">announced</a> the happy news that they were expecting their fourth child together. The vice president, 41, and his wife, 40, have been married since 2014. 
With the birth of their new son expected in July, the couple will have joined a small club of presidents and vice presidents to have had a child while in office.

Usha Vance

Usha Vance Visits Children At Hospital For National Reading Month

Second Lady Usha Vance Reads To Children's Hospital Patients For National Reading Month

Children

Literacy

Washington D.C.

Pete Hegseth is going to war — but not with the Venezuelans.
No, the Secretary of War is locked in a battle with Canadian publisher Kids Can Press. Over a meme.
On Sunday, Hegseth posted a fake book cover showing Franklin, a cartoon turtle, shooting rocket-propelled grenades at narco-terrorists from the landing skid of a military helicopter.
&#8220;For your Christmas wish list,&#8221; Hegseth wrote along with the book, titled &#8220;Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists,&#8221; which is billed as &#8220;A Classic Franklin Story.&#8221; The cover image features Franklin seated in the open bay door of a helicopter, aiming an RPG launcher at narco-terrorists in their boats in the water below.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
For your Christmas wish list… <a href="https://t.co/pLXzg20SaL">pic.twitter.com/pLXzg20SaL</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1995291042346852861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Less than 24 hours later, Kids Can Press issued a statement in response, condemning Hegseth&#8217;s use of the &#8220;beloved&#8221; character.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/uYUF68eDyI">pic.twitter.com/uYUF68eDyI</a>
— kidscanpress (@KidsCanPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/KidsCanPress/status/1995629217506312197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,&#8221; the post read. &#8220;We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin&#8217;s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.&#8221;
The statement marks the first time Kids Can Press has posted on X since a mid-January announcement declaring a shift to posting more on other platforms like Bluesky.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
The most recent thing in the publisher&#8217;s timeline was a <a href="https://x.com/FoldKids/status/1975253649220903410">repost</a> advertising a workshop for kids called &#8220;An Indigenous History Lesson on Fascism&#8221; and featuring Gord Hill, the author of &#8220;The Revised &amp; Expanded ANTIFA Comic Book.&#8221;
In addition to triggering Kids Can Press, Hegseth also got a rise out of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
&#8220;I have never seen someone so unserious, so childish, and so obviously insecure serving as Secretary of Defense as Pete Hegseth. The man is a national embarrassment,&#8221; the senator <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1995632033843085429">posted</a>.
Former &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; host <a href="https://x.com/chucktodd/status/1995563637126418845">Chuck Todd</a> was also clearly upset by the meme, saying Hegseth was &#8220;literally mocking the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Congress and humiliating and embarrassing America worldwide with this childish tantrum.&#8221;

NATO Defense Ministers Meeting in Brussels

Woke Canadian Publisher Whines About Pete Hegseth’s Franklin The Turtle Meme

Woke Canadian Publisher Whines About Pete Hegseth's Franklin The Turtle Meme

Canada

Military

narco-terrorism

Pete Hegseth

Politics

Social Media

The pro-abortion activist group “Shout Your Abortion” has proudly debuted a book aimed at young children. 
Organization founder Amelia Bonow published the book “Abortion Is Everything” after years of promising it was forthcoming. She shared photos and excerpts on the group’s official social media page, describing it as a “very special book.”
“This beautiful hardcover book was created to talk with kids about abortion,” the post says. “Abortion Is Everything speaks directly to five to eight-year-olds about what abortion is, how it might feel, and why people have abortions.”
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRNNd7ogUmm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
&nbsp;
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
&nbsp;
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRNNd7ogUmm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Shout Your Abortion (@shoutyourabortion)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
“With accessible, inclusive language, Abortion Is Everything frames abortion as the actualization of a uniquely human superpower: our capacity to imagine the future and make choices that lead us towards the life we envision. Abortion is a tool that allows human beings to shape our destinies, and which has shaped the entire world around us,” the description goes on.
“Parents, caregivers, and educators who work with children have long been searching for a tool to talk with kids about abortion, especially given the volume of political noise currently surrounding the issue,” it says, adding that the book, “introduces the concept of abortion in a way that empowers parents and kids to begin rewriting our cultural scripts about abortion at the most foundational level.”
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
Commenters were thrilled about the concept, with one person replying, “Love it. I‘ve been speaking to my kids about abortion since they were small and it is so empowering to hear a child say: ‘You don‘t have to be pregnant if you don’t want to be.’”
“[I] think i will be buying this today for my potential future offspring!!” another person wrote.
Bonow has a history of promoting abortion to minors. In 2018, she appeared in a video for the “Kids Meet” series online and used anti-science and pro-abortion talking points while discussing her own abortion with the young boys and girls, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-feminist-promotes-brags-about-abortion-amanda-prestigiacomo">reported</a>.
She said abortion was “all part of God’s plan” and agreed when one of the participants suggested that an unborn “fetus” is “not really a human being yet.”
“I kind of like to compare it to a sea cucumber. It’s not thinking; it’s just living. It’s like, your arm is not capable of complex thought. Neither is a baby inside your womb,” one boy said as Bonow enthusiastically agreed with that idea.
Bonow also said “pro-life” is “propaganda.”
“I don’t call them pro-life; I call [them] anti-choice, because who would disagree with that statement? Being pro-life? … To me, the phrase ‘pro-life’ is propaganda, because often the people that say that don’t want to take care of people who have babies that they can’t afford and then are totally poor. … They want to deprive people [of] access to healthcare,” she told the teens. “You guys aren’t pro-life. I’m pro-life,” she insisted.

Abortion word on wooden block. Flat lay view on light pink background.

Activist Group Proudly Debuts Pro-Abortion Book Aimed At Children

Activist Group Proudly Debuts Abortion Book Aimed At Young Kids

Abortion

Feminism

Pro-Abortion

If you talk to any experienced and honest teacher these days, from elementary school on up, one of the first things they will tell you is how quickly gender ideology has taken hold. Virtually overnight, students began adopting fake pronouns and made-up genders.
To call this phenomenon &#8220;unnatural&#8221; would be a vast understatement. It&#8217;s obviously engineered. Teachers and school boards are pushing this nonsense on children who are far too young to know any better. The public school system has committed itself to indoctrinating children, in many cases without their parents&#8217; knowledge or consent. But after what happened yesterday at the Supreme Court, it&#8217;s very clear that accountability is finally coming for these ghouls.
After many years of spewing LGBT propaganda with total impunity, school districts will soon face major new restrictions on their ability to pollute the minds of elementary-school-age children. Based on how the justices acted during oral arguments yesterday, “Mahmoud v. Taylor” could easily turn out to be one of the most significant Supreme Court rulings of this generation.
Before we review the oral arguments, here is some background. The case began after Montgomery County Public Schools, the largest school district in Maryland — introduced a new &#8220;gender and sexuality curriculum.&#8221; Initially, students (or their parents) could opt out of this curriculum for any reason. But after a short period of time, the school district claimed that it wasn&#8217;t feasible to continue allowing opt outs. So it&#8217;s mandatory now. To give you an idea of what exactly this curriculum entails, here&#8217;s an image from one book that children are introduced to.
<div id="attachment_911559" style="width: 690px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-911559" class="wp-image-911559 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GpJWV7kX0AE7j3U.jpeg" alt="Screenshot: What Are Your Words?" width="680" height="446" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GpJWV7kX0AE7j3U.jpeg 680w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GpJWV7kX0AE7j3U-300x197.jpeg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" />Screenshot: What Are Your Words?</div>
This is what&#8217;s apparently known as an &#8220;LGBT storybook.&#8221; This one&#8217;s called, “What Are Your Words?” As you can see, one line of dialogue reads, “My pronouns are like the weather. They change depending on how I feel.”
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is a nonprofit, reported on some other books that were included in this <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/will-scotus-back-parents-when-it-comes-to-lgbtq-storybooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new curriculum</a>:
<blockquote>[O]ne book tasks three and four-year-olds to search for images from a word list that includes &#8216;intersex flag,&#8217; &#8216;drag queen,&#8217; &#8216;underwear,&#8217; &#8216;leather,&#8217; and the name of a celebrated LGBTQ activist and sex worker. Another book advocates a child-knows-best approach to gender transitioning, telling students that a decision to transition doesn’t have to &#8216;make sense.&#8217; Teachers are instructed to say doctors only &#8216;guess&#8217; when identifying a newborn’s sex anyway.</blockquote>
When parents of varying religious faiths — including Muslims and Christians — objected to the idea that their 5-year-olds needed to be taught about &#8220;sex work&#8221; and &#8220;gender transitioning&#8221; by Left-wing activists posing as teachers, the school district told them they had no recourse. In fact, the district slandered the parents as bigots. All these parents were seeking was the ability to opt out of this indoctrination. They didn&#8217;t even demand that the classes be removed from the curriculum. But the school district denied their request. So the parents sued.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mws-ep-1581-member-exclusive?elementPosition=3&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h3>
Which brings us to yesterday&#8217;s oral arguments. I want to begin with this question from Justice Alito, because it gets to the core of the issue. Alito wants to know why the school district is so hell-bent on forcing children to read books about homosexuality, transgenderism and so on. (To be clear, that&#8217;s what the school district is doing. They&#8217;re not merely providing these books in the school library. Teachers are actively telling students to read the books as part of class.) The truthful answer to Justice Alito&#8217;s question is simple: The Left understands that, if the LGBT movement is going to survive, it needs to indoctrinate new members at a very young age.
But the school district can&#8217;t say that out loud, of course. So instead, the lawyer representing the Montgomery school district&#8217;s superintendent, a man named Alan Schoenfeld, starts talking in circles about how impossible it would be, at a practical level, for the school district to allow students to opt out of this curriculum. But nothing he says actually makes sense. It gets so bad that, at the end of his rambling non-answer, Justice Kavanaugh chimes in to confirm that indeed, no one has any idea what the hell this guy is talking about. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="005 alito, whats the big deal" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q118nmS1g2s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
As best I can tell, the lawyer for the school district is claiming that, because students might talk among themselves about certain LGBT books that are discussed in this curriculum, it&#8217;s therefore impossible to allow students to opt out of this kind of curriculum. In other words, whether or not students opt out, there&#8217;s a chance that they&#8217;ll hear about the materials that are discussed in these gay adventure books.
But this ignores a couple of obvious points.The big one is that, when a teacher is communicating a lesson to a class, it has a very different effect, as compared to one student talking to another student about a book during recess or whatever. The teacher is in a position of authority. It&#8217;s much easier for a 5-year-old to discount something another 5-year-old says, than it is to discount the wisdom of a 40-year-old teacher he&#8217;s told to trust. If this is an argument for anything, it&#8217;s an argument for not having these materials in the school to begin with. Which of course is the correct answer. But either way, it is not an argument against allowing parents to opt out.
The lawyer for the school district knows this but he can&#8217;t admit it. So he ends up confusing everyone in the room with a bunch of doublespeak. This kept happening throughout the oral arguments. Listen to this moment where Justice Gorsuch points out that, in Montgomery County, teachers are told to actively correct students who dare to suggest that men can&#8217;t become women. Gorsuch then asks the lawyer for Montgomery County whether this could constitute &#8220;coercion.&#8221; The obvious answer is yes. But instead of saying that, here&#8217;s the gibberish that the attorney comes back with:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="006 gorsuch, coercion, correcting himself" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x3sWOLDR4Q0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
Justice Gorsuch gives an example where a student says, &#8220;a boy can&#8217;t be a girl.&#8221; And then the lawyer states that it&#8217;s not &#8220;coercive,&#8221; in any way, for the teacher to correct the student&#8217;s comment, in front of the entire class. He then changes his mind and says the opposite.
Even when he&#8217;s not contradicting himself, the school district&#8217;s lawyer managed to make a mockery of the entire case. 
Here&#8217;s his opening statement, for example:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="007 beginning with mr shonfeld" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xkw27dw9T5g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
Yes, according to this attorney for the school district, there&#8217;s no difference between teaching elementary-school students about wars, and teaching them that boys can become girls. Telling students about the War of 1812 is just like telling them that it&#8217;s totally reasonable to chemically castrate minors.
One of the ways we know this isn&#8217;t true, aside from using basic common sense, is that there&#8217;s no army of parents demanding that schools stop teaching students about wars. That&#8217;s because it&#8217;s understood that teaching students about wars is not a general endorsement of violence. Additionally, everyone agrees that history is important and useful because it&#8217;s grounded in reality. On the other hand, gender ideology is just that — ideological.
This lawyer was not the only person to embarrass himself yesterday. That&#8217;s a given. After all, Ketanji Brown Jackson was also in attendance at the hearing. And as you&#8217;d expect, she did not disappoint. Single-handedly, she dropped the collective IQ in the room by about 10 points, just by opening her mouth. And of course, she opened her mouth on the side of indoctrinating children, because she takes the Left&#8217;s position on every issue. Behold, Ketanji Brown Jackson&#8217;s argument in favor of mandatory indoctrination in public schools:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="008 can just go to private school" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y-FJrhGbwrw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
Yes, you can homeschool, says Ketanji Brown Jackson. You can pay for an expensive private school. Therefore, there&#8217;s no &#8220;burden&#8221; on these parents, apparently. It&#8217;s not a &#8220;burden&#8221; to have to pay more money, and change your child&#8217;s school, because Montgomery County decided to teach LGBT propaganda. And then the lawyer representing the parents responds, and points out that she&#8217;s completely wrong, and many other cases demonstrate why she&#8217;s wrong. And then she goes quiet and they move on.
Here’s one more clip from these arguments, involving Justice Alito questioning the school board&#8217;s lawyer. He follows up on this logic, about how the parents can supposedly just go to a private school. He begins by talking from the perspective of one of these parents:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="009 alito, too bad" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hgRo17KtvU8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
This is what it looks like in the Supreme Court when &#8220;sparks fly,&#8221; so to speak. Alito is making his disdain for the school district&#8217;s argument extremely clear, which is exactly what he should do. They&#8217;re trying to force-feed gender ideology to children, and instead of owning it, they&#8217;re lying and telling the parents to pay more money to find a private school that won&#8217;t interfere with their religious liberties. But the Constitution doesn&#8217;t work that way. And it appears the Montgomery County school district, and school districts all over the country, are about to discover that.
This is not a close case. That&#8217;s why even the far-Left outlet Vox <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250422191725/https://www.vox.com/scotus/409921/supreme-court-dont-say-gay-mahmoud-taylor">reported</a>: 
<blockquote>The Supreme Court’s &#8216;Don’t Say Gay&#8217; argument went disastrously for public schools.</blockquote>
At the moment, the most likely outcome is that, when very young children are involved, parents will retain the right to opt out of curriculums involving gender ideology, or any other extreme ideology that conflicts with their established religion. Everyone can see this coming.
And just to underscore that, yesterday Randi Weingarten, the head of one of the largest teachers&#8217; unions in the country, went on Fox News. And she admitted, right away, that she wouldn&#8217;t read these books in the classroom. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="010 Randi" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/luc0jWbW_HA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
We all know that Randi Weingarten isn&#8217;t saying this because she believes it. She&#8217;s maybe the most calculating political operative in the country, after Nancy Pelosi. But Weingarten understands when the Left is overplaying its hand. She knows that they&#8217;re on the cusp of yet another crushing defeat in their efforts to indoctrinate children, and she&#8217;s trying to soften that blow when it inevitably comes.
Unfortunately for Weingarten, the truth is, there&#8217;s no way to accomplish that. Gender ideology and LGBT activists, as we&#8217;ve discussed many times, are now extremely unpopular. They have alienated the entire country, to the point that they may have cost Democrats the last election. The only way an ideology like this can survive is by targeting children before they&#8217;re able to develop their cognitive abilities. That&#8217;s their only viable play. And in a few short months, after this case is inevitably decided against the public school system of Montgomery County, it&#8217;ll be much, much harder for these people to accomplish that.

Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Parental Rights Regarding LGBTQ Books In Schools

The Lawyers Promoting Child Indoctrination To SCOTUS Were Absolutely Humiliated

Brett Kavanaugh

Education

Elementary Schools

gender ideology

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Matt Walsh

Neil Gorsuch

Opinion

Parents rights

Samuel Alito

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

Virginia

An Alabama library board member threatened to “involve the authorities” after a local mother reached out to the library with concerns about sexually graphic books that have been available at libraries around the state. 
Last month, Limestone County resident Rachel Homolak reached out to newly-appointed Athens-Limestone Public Library board member Vicki Hereford to flag several sexually explicit books that have been in circulation at public libraries throughout Alabama. In response to the emails, which contained images from the books, Hereford warned Homolak on Sunday to never contact her again and that she would call the authorities if Homolak reached out to again. 
“The disgusting pronographic [sic] material that you chose to send to me twice via email &#8211; UNSOLICITED &#8211; is filth. Because you choose to send this for whatever reason — shock value, perhaps — you are distributing the very material that you say you fight against. I will not meet with you,” Hereford said in a Sunday email shared with The Daily Wire. “Do not contact me via email, phone call or text, or in person again. Any communication from you will be considered harassment and I will be forced to involve the authorities.”
The response came after a pair of emails on February 10 where Homolak flagged two sexually explicit books aimed at kids for Hereford amid a statewide fight between parents and leftist activists over library control. Hereford responded on March 16, after Homolak reached out to see if her messages had been received. Homolak said she just wanted to make Hereford aware of the issues and flag one book that was in circulation at the Athens-Limestone County Public Library. 
Homolak, who used to live in Missouri, previously <a href="https://www.alreporter.com/2024/05/27/alabama-library-critic-led-defamatory-campaign-in-missouri-lawsuit-claims/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made headlines</a> for arguing that male librarians should not be allowed to wear women’s clothing while staffing the children’s sections of libraries. She told The Daily Wire that she was really disappointed with the response because she was hoping to work with Hereford. 
After being contacted by The Daily Wire, Hereford said that she shared a commitment with Homolak to protecting kids from explicit materials. 
“I understand all too well the challenges that families face in seeking to protect and guide our children and grandchildren,” she said. “It is my goal in this service role to ensure that concerns are addressed and particularly that children are protected. While our methods used to reach that goal may be different, I do believe that this parent and I share a commitment to protect children and guide them toward adulthood. One task in support of that goal is to deliver age-appropriate content within our county library to our patrons of all ages.
The two books that Homolak flagged were “Let’s Talk About It,” and “It’s Perfectly Normal.” The latter contains graphic depictions of sex and is <a href="https://alcpl.bywatersolutions.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=89619&amp;query_desc=kw%252Cwrdl%253A%2520It%E2%80%99s%2520perfectly%2520normal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available</a> in Athens-Limestone County Public Library within the adult section, though the book itself is aimed at kids. 
&#8220;Please take a stand and make sure these vile books stay out of the hands of our children. You have statewide support through the [Alabama Public Library System] so there is no reason to cater to the loud and obnoxious democrat demons in our county. Stand strong and do what is right,” Homolak wrote in her first email. “I will send you more images from other hot topic books that these leftist lunatics push.”
The second email focused on &#8220;It&#8217;s Perfectly Normal,&#8221; which includes illustrations of kids masturbating.
&#8220;This is porn. It also encourages kids to masturbate with illustrations of kids masturbating. Evil. Can you believe that grown adults draw kids masturbating??&#8221; Homolak wrote.
In her response to The Daily Wire, Hereford focused on the email on the book &#8220;Let&#8217;s Talk About It,&#8221; which is available in the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library System.
&#8220;A person within our community sent me disturbing images from a book, Let’s Talk About It, that is not offered in the Athens-Limestone Public Library,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The constituent noted that our library does not carry that book but that other libraries in nearby counties may have it. I checked again with our library staff regarding the book title in question and they confirmed that we do not have that item in the library. That book had been reviewed prior to my appointment, and it was determined that it would not be added to the books available in our library.&#8221;
Last year, the Athens-Limestone County Library was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-fight-to-shield-kids-from-graphic-material-in-a-deep-red-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">embroiled in controversy</a> after a group of activists raised concerns that the county had no representation on the library board, despite organization bylaws. Recently, two county appointees, including Hereford, were appointed to the board, in response to those complaints.
Under new guidelines established by Republican Governor Kay Ivey, the Alabama Public Library System has directed all libraries receiving state funding to implement policies to keep sexually explicit books out of the kids&#8217; sections of libraries. The policies have been opposed by leftist groups, who claim that such policies are akin to book bans and violate free speech.
Other conservative areas across the country have also taken steps to shield kids from explicit content. In Tennessee on Monday, the Rutherford County library board <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-town-faces-down-liberal-protests-votes-to-remove-books-promoting-transgenderism-to-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved a resolution</a> that all books promoting transgenderism to kids should be removed from the shelves.

US-BOOKS-LITTERATURE-CENSORSHIP

An Alabama Mom Complained About Pornographic Kids Books. The Library Threatened To Call The Cops.

Alabama

Library

The following is a transcribed excerpt from one of Dr. Jordan Peterson’s 2015 lectures. You can <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/the-jordan-b-peterson-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listen to</a> or <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-jordan-b-peterson-podcast">watch</a> more from Dr. Peterson on DailyWire+.
“Pinocchio” is a story that includes an initiation ritual and a journey to the depths (the underworld). It is a story of the consequence of a collapse of previous personality and the disintegration of that previous personality into a chaotic state prior to rebirth.
Pinocchio, a puppet, tries to become a real boy. In the beginning, he is a marionette. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-role-of-the-holy-spirit-distinguishing-between-your-will-and-gods-will" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carl Jung</a> explained that is your habitual state of being: Something else is pulling your strings. Even the idea that you are autonomous is the consequence of something else pulling your strings, so for Jung, what you needed to do was find out exactly who and what is pulling your strings and decide if that is the direction in which you want to go. That is what happens to Pinocchio in the story.
Pinocchio is a marionette made by Geppetto, a good father. He is a marionette with a benevolent puppeteer. But as soon as he develops some autonomy, he becomes prey to forces that are elements of the demonic archetype. In fact, the worst bad guy in the entire story turns into Satan himself. So Pinocchio goes through a series of temptations of various sorts, including a Freudian temptation to remain weak and sickly instead of becoming a real person. Another temptation Pinocchio faces is being offered false celebrity as a way of solving his life’s problems. He is offered the opportunity to become an actor when a deceitful fate constructs a persona that makes him appear far more valuable than he really is. These are two pathological modes of movement towards maturity — one being a phony, and the other taking the easy way out and hyper-valuing pathologies to the degree he becomes dependent.
The third pathological development offered to Pinocchio occurs on Pleasure Island, which is to do nothing but engage in short-term impulsive and destructive play. But when he goes to Pleasure Island, he finds that the island is actually ruled by demonic forces, faceless entities who are transforming all the pleasure-seeking marionettes into donkeys who are slaves. Pinocchio escapes from that by jumping into the unknown, represented by jumping into the water, which is equivalent to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-role-of-the-holy-spirit-distinguishing-between-your-will-and-gods-will" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plunging into chaos</a> — his exposure to his initiation. In other words, chaos was an escape from pathological tyranny.
Now, the cricket. While I cannot tell you everything about this element of the story, I can tell you a couple strange notions about it. The initials are J.C., and Jiminy Cricket was a common, mild-form of Southern American cursing; it is the equivalent of Jesus Christ. So you might think, and of course, the cricket is Pinocchio’s conscience. So why in the world would a pejorative term for Jesus Christ be applied to a cricket who is guiding a puppet into the water to rescue his father from a whale? Why would any of that happen? You know why but you cannot say why. You cannot say why you know or what it is you know, but the mere fact that it makes sense — and it does — is an indication from a Jungian perspective that you are operating at an archetypal level.
Further, the cricket is a bug. Why might this be? Well, things bug you. You should do something about the things that bug you because that is your conscience calling to you. It is destiny, in some sense, manifesting itself as an unconscious impulse. Now, there are a lot of things out there that might bug you; some of them do not, but lots of them do. Why do certain things bug you and not other things? That is a complicated question, but one potential answer is that there is part of your psyche that is oriented <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-role-of-the-holy-spirit-distinguishing-between-your-will-and-gods-will" target="_blank" rel="noopener">towards further development</a>. Jung would call that the self — essentially, the totality of everything you could be. It is a strange sort of entity because it is partly potential and it is potential that expands across time. But the way that your potential totality calls to you in the present is by placing things in front of you that are your problem. They announce themselves as your problem by bothering you. So if you pick up the task of fixing the thing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-role-of-the-holy-spirit-distinguishing-between-your-will-and-gods-will" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that bothers you</a>, then you find the pathway to further expansion of your personality.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-jordan-b-peterson-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Dr. Jordan B. Peterson&#8217;s podcast on DailyWire+</a></h3>
That is what happens with Pinocchio. Part of what makes the “Pinocchio” story so incredibly sophisticated is that despite the fact the cricket is an avatar of Christ, so to speak, the cricket has things to learn just like Pinocchio. That implies that you do have a conscience that guides you, but until you establish a dialogue with it, both you and the conscience are immature. You have to establish a conscious dialogue with it and interact together, which propels your development across time. That will stop you from being a marionette of external forces.
Many events at multiple levels of reality happen simultaneously when Pinocchio goes home, which is characteristic of an archetypal story. On one level, Pinocchio is too old to go home; he cannot go home to his father because, in some sense, he has already transcended his father Geppetto. That is on the personal level. On the transpersonal level, the deeper archetypal level, what is happening to Pinocchio is exactly what Nietzsche described at the end of the 19th century. Geppetto is his creator, and now he is dead; he is gone. So Pinocchio is bereft of placement. His soul has been corrupted, and he does not know what to do about it. When he returns to his family home, or to his tradition, he finds nothing.
But then a dove comes along and drops a note right in front of Pinocchio. The star from which the dove comes is a representation of the blue fairy, who is the positive element of the unknown. What this scene is basically saying is: When you are despairing because your father has died and your tradition has nothing to offer, the positive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-role-of-the-holy-spirit-distinguishing-between-your-will-and-gods-will" target="_blank" rel="noopener">element of the unknown</a> may provide you with a message of where to go if you pay enough attention. That is an intuition of the automatic attraction of your interests to a new thing by forces you do not understand.
One of the real ways of coming to grips with the active unconscious is by understanding you cannot control what you are interested in. If it is not you, then you might ask who or what it is. And if you think about that problem long enough, you will start to understand what Jung was talking about. That is the way you can understand in your own life that the things that direct you as a being are not things that you consciously choose. In fact, they are not even things you can consciously choose.
* * *
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-role-of-the-holy-spirit-distinguishing-between-your-will-and-gods-will" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Jordan B. Peterson</a> is a clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. From 1993 to 1998 he served as assistant and then associate professor of psychology at Harvard. He is the international bestselling author of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-role-of-the-holy-spirit-distinguishing-between-your-will-and-gods-will" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maps of Meaning</a>,” “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-role-of-the-holy-spirit-distinguishing-between-your-will-and-gods-will" target="_blank" rel="noopener">12 Rules For Life,</a>” and “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Order-More-Rules-Life/dp/0593084640/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;dib_tag=AUTHOR&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nbV0WtVit9busCddbjMST-Oe7hjueQrxfqnQ4L3HXXUFdIaqlEBr0sp9HQWIq9ut9NlHDAFA0YQoDWVZfDtKNJI7VvlzWv2rMhs2KcAAIIppPRMWq4GIiFerkrssvBABAjeKlg3OFs3H8IHs5D8ktJ5uBg3K-SZ4hpKltaKkrhY6j-RKn-tTkBz29JZXP3Rhm9SB14rHUX1nol5d4z4Fi6f8fwhxXWCVGgkvOHSqG6E.iVF1NljuBEwrpumO9rQBh9FotnzaIo4K7K8HvNnC46k&amp;qid=&amp;sr=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beyond Order.</a>” Be sure to order his newest book, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Who-Wrestle-God-Jordan-Peterson/dp/0593542533/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=38kcw&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&amp;pf_rd_p=f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&amp;pf_rd_r=133-1833056-3520340&amp;pd_rd_wg=3zvBk&amp;pd_rd_r=93a1419a-853b-4c49-a764-cbaa90d3073a&amp;ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We Who Wrestle with God</a>” (Portfolio/Penguin).
You can now <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/the-jordan-b-peterson-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listen to</a> or <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/watch/jordan-peterson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch</a> his popular lectures on DailyWire+.

Readers Pass – Zeisloft – 5 Times Jordan Peterson Left His Opponents Speechless16x9

Psychology And ‘Pinocchio’

Psychology and 'Pinocchio'

Carl Jung

Disney

Friedrich Nietzsche

Hollywood

Jordan B. Peterson

Movies

Psychology

The fight to keep sexually explicit books away from children is not just being fought in big liberal cities.
Even in deep red Alabama, there is resistance to removing books such as the sexually explicit LGBT-themed book “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” in which there are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-time-to-unite-against-the-real-enemy">graphic descriptions</a> of anal rape and incest. It&#8217;s the book that Louisiana Senator John Kennedy read aloud during a Senate committee hearing last year, shocking all in attendance.  The book <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/concern-raised-over-sexually-explicit-book-in-olathekansas-seventh-grade-classroom/">graphically describes</a> sexual activities and includes lines like, &#8220;He didn’t know I was a virgin, and I did my best to act dominant like my favorite porn star,&#8221; and, &#8220;He reached his hand down and pulled out my d**k. He quickly went to giving me head.&#8221;
But just last month, an effort from concerned residents in one small Alabama community asking for the book to be moved to the adult section of their local library was denied. Under current guidelines, parents can complain about a book, but a committee appointed by the library director decides the fate of the book. The committee in charge of reviewing &#8220;All Boys Aren&#8217;t Blue&#8221; in Huntsville-Madison County unanimously ruled that it should stay in the library’s young adult section. 
Cindy Hewitt, the executive director of the Huntsville-Madison Library, told one concerned resident on May 28 that the committee found that though the content in the book is “frank and open” it is “relevant to the author’s history,” according to a letter obtained by The Daily Wire. According to Hewitt, the committee found that it would be a “disservice to remove it from the collection as it would neglect to consider the real-world issues of sex and sexual abuse that some teenagers may already be experiencing.” 
A new policy set to go into effect next month, however, could create a new calculus for local libraries. After July 15, funding for state libraries will be tied to removing sexually explicit and graphic books from the children’s sections of public libraries.
Under the new rules, libraries will be required to come up with a “selection criteria for minors and how they are safeguarded from sexually explicit or other material deemed inappropriate for children or youth.”
The policies also stipulate that libraries will need to have provisions in place to move books that have been deemed sexually explicit or inappropriate for children. The amended rules say that libraries shall “approve written guidelines that ensure library sections designated for minors under the age of 18 remain free of material containing obscenity, sexually explicit or other material deemed inappropriate for children or youth.”
Another rule would create guidelines for library cards handed out to minors, including that parents need to give approval and that the cards can’t be used to check out books from the adult section of the library. This would give parents, like the ones attempting to have &#8220;All Boys Aren&#8217;t Blue&#8221; moved from the young adult shelves of the Huntsville-Madison County Library, a new avenue to have their complaints addressed.
John Wahl, the chair of the Alabama Republican Party and a member of the Alabama Public Library System, told The Daily Wire that he fully expects the policies to go into place.
”Once these go into effect on July 15, Alabama will have some of the strongest regulations in the country to make sure children are protected,” Wahl told The Daily Wire. “It is time that we protect children from social engineering and from materials that really are not appropriate for them.” 
He added that parents had come before the APLS board to tell them about sexually explicit books their kids had found at local libraries. He said that the people of Alabama “want the libraries to be cleaned up” and that taxpayer dollars should not go to purchase explicit books aimed at children. 
<div id="attachment_753079" style="width: 854px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-753079" class="wp-image-753079 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872-844x576.jpg" alt="" width="844" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872-844x576.jpg 844w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872-300x205.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872-768x524.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1255159872.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px" />Credit: H. Rick Bamman/Pioneer Press/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images.</div>
Media and leftist activists have attempted to portray the pending rule as a &#8220;book ban,&#8221; but backers say its a misrepresentation.
“No one is about banning books. We’re not trying to ban anything. We are trying to definitely protect children though,” APLS board member Amy Minton told The Daily Wire. “Why do we have these books in our public libraries that encourage the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity when it&#8217;s against the current law of Alabama?”
She added that the vast majority of public comments sent in related to the policies were in support. 
According to Elizabeth Stewart, an organizer with the conservative group Moms for Liberty and resident of Athens, Alabama, a large part of the push for children’s books with graphic material is coming from the American Library Association, which wants to expose children to “various forms of sexual activity.”
The American Library Association is run by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marxist-lesbian-president-of-american-library-association-doubles-down-on-agenda-for-a-better-world">self-described</a> “lesbian Marxist” and has vigorously protested any effort to shield children from graphic materials while pushing leftist ideology. 
”Everytime we make a choice to put something in, we are simultaneously making a choice to not put something in,” Stewart said. “And so it does make a difference — there’s not an endless space in each library to put everything which is why age appropriate curriculum material selection policy has to be written well.” 
<div id="attachment_753081" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-753081" class="wp-image-753081 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215-864x576.jpg" alt="CHINO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 20: A man holds a sign in support of a policy that the Chino Valley school board is meeting to vote on which would require school staff to &quot;out&quot; students to their parents if they ask to be identified by a gender that is not listed on their birth certificate on July 20, 2023 in Chino, California. In June, the board voted 4-1 to revise guidelines for ceremonies and observances that would only allow U.S., California, military, foreign nations and flags of higher education institutions, effectively banning LGBTQ+ pride flags from being displayed on school district property. Today's vote is a continuation of the June meeting discussion of matters affecting LGBTQ+ students. " width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/GettyImages-1545719215.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Photo by David McNew/Getty Images.</div>
Library boards will play an important part in developing policies that will be in accordance with the new APLS guidelines.
Stewart told The Daily Wire that it is important for local citizens to take responsibility for their own communities. That’s why she’s been pushing for clarity on the makeup of her own Athens-Limestone County Public Library board, which has been embroiled in controversy the last several months over its policies on sexually-themed books and board appointments. 
The controversy began when longtime librarian and mother Carissa Callan was alarmed by a posted policy that said the library was supposed to supply books on sex “that reflect changing attitudes and departures from traditional mores.” As a resident of Limestone County, Callan applied for a spot on the board, as the library&#8217;s publicly posted policies said three board appointments were given to the city and two to the county.
After being denied an application on the board, Callan and Stewart discovered that the library board was completely controlled by the city, contradicting posted policy. They launched<a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/GCNDW?utm_source=sharelink&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_campaign=GCNDW&amp;fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1yvPwZvckg2N3aDGec24sv2Z8pSZA3bxWi2Hz3nZihyAkeD8MhRXFCjbg_aem_AQQ4shsxi0nN9_WkzwyuPOhMe5l0DbnVt3ryOkB_hMVmr9YdfPHQt6bpuFTsAV0FKt275ydQ0iXEn-lJmOgxIiw-"> an effort</a> to hire outside legal counsel to get county residents a guaranteed spot on the board. 
“County citizens have continued paying as if it&#8217;s a joint board since 2009 but without representation,” a GiveSendGo <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/GCNDW?utm_source=sharelink&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_campaign=GCNDW&amp;fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1yvPwZvckg2N3aDGec24sv2Z8pSZA3bxWi2Hz3nZihyAkeD8MhRXFCjbg_aem_AQQ4shsxi0nN9_WkzwyuPOhMe5l0DbnVt3ryOkB_hMVmr9YdfPHQt6bpuFTsAV0FKt275ydQ0iXEn-lJmOgxIiw-">organized</a> by &#8220;Limestone County Citizens&#8221; to raise funds for a constitutional lawyer says. “County residents are seeking legal answers to public policy being incorrect for 15 years.”
The city makes up just about 26% of Limestone’s population of around 110,000. The library’s total expected revenue for fiscal year 2024 came to around $628,600. This funding came from multiple sources, including the county and the state, totaling around $224,244, according to records viewed by The Daily Wire. 
Stewart said that county citizens were effectively getting taxed twice for something they did not have a voice on. 
“The county citizens are getting hit twice. They’re paying their local county commission for no representations,” Stewart told The Daily Wire. “The state of Alabama has been funding this library for 15 years under documentation and legal bylaws stating that it has remained a joint library effort and a joint board.” 
The city of Athens told The Daily Wire that the incorrect information about the board appointment on the website appeared to be the result of “human error,” and that it had been removed from the website “weeks ago.” 
The library’s <a href="https://www.alcpl.org/using-the-library/library-policies/">current page</a> on policies says it is “under construction,” and current policies on board membership cannot be found online. However, the library’s updated policies from this May are available upon request from the library, and were obtained by The Daily Wire. 
That policy no longer contains the requirement for books &#8220;that reflect changing attitudes and departures from traditional mores,&#8221; but now stipulates that the library board is all appointed by the city. Limestone residents still have questions about why the county provides funding without getting to make any board appointments. 
The Limestone County Commission <a href="https://www.enewscourier.com/news/commission-approves-update-to-library-board/article_8ebaca96-2297-11ef-82e9-df2c6fe9f708.html">voted</a> last week to approve a resolution that expresses a goal of forming a joint-library board again with at least two county representatives. The resolution would require an agreement to be reached by October 1. The exact details appear to still be up in the air and county residents remain unconvinced that the board will be changed. 
A spokeswoman for Athens said that the “city and the county are exploring modifications so that the board contains appointments from both the city and county,” adding that “when/if those changes are made, the library policy will also be changed.”
None of the members of the Limestone County Commission responded to Daily Wire requests for comment. 
Limestone residents also believe that there should be an independent review of the board regardless of whether the county is given any seats on the board or not. Wahl agrees, saying that there should be an independent review from outside to ensure that a fair resolution is found. 
Stewart said that there needs to be a legitimate board in place in Athens before they can develop a policy on sexually explicit books in accordance with the APLS. Regardless, the Athens-Limestone Library will need to submit its policy by October if the new guidelines take effect in July.

Frequently Banned Books

Inside The Fight To Shield Kids From Graphic Material In A Deep Red State

LGBT

sexual content

Scholastic is encouraging teachers to &#8220;disrupt the status quo&#8221; by exposing children to LGBT books this Pride Month, telling them they &#8220;absolutely know queer children.&#8221;
The children&#8217;s book publishing company recently released its 2024 <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/scholastic/educators/discussion-guides/read-with-pride-disc-guide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guide</a> for Scholastic&#8217;s <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/site/read-with-pride.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">annual</a> &#8220;Read With Pride&#8221; initiative, which includes LGBT children&#8217;s book recommendations.
The guide assures teachers, caregivers, and &#8220;advocates&#8221; that &#8220;whether or not they are out to themselves or you, you absolutely know queer children and interact with them in your classrooms, libraries, and communities.&#8221;
&#8220;Books and literature are never neutral; by engaging with queer literature for children and young adults, you are disrupting the status quo that implies being cisgender, heterosexual, and allosexual are the default. You are showing children an expanded way of thinking and being that validates all children and all people,&#8221; the guide states.
Scholastic recommends LGBT books for children as young as preschool age.
For &#8220;the youngest reader,&#8221; Scholastic recommends several books, including &#8220;My Moms Love Me&#8221; about a lesbian couple with a baby, and &#8220;You Are Loved,&#8221; a book in which &#8220;readers will meet families with two moms and two dads,&#8221; <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/site/read-with-pride/books.html#loved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the description.
Scholastic recommends dozens of books for older children ages eight to 12, including three by the same author, Alex Gino. &#8220;Melissa&#8221; is about a trans-identifying boy, and the other two books are about non-binary characters.
&#8220;When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she&#8217;s not a boy. She knows she&#8217;s a girl,&#8221; reads the book&#8217;s description.
Another recommended book for ages eight to 12 is &#8220;Moonflower&#8221; by Kacen Callender. It is about a depressed non-binary 12-year-old who is &#8220;afraid that their mom hates them&#8221; and travels to a &#8220;spirit realm.&#8221;
The guide includes dozens of books aimed at young teens 14 and up, including &#8220;The Feeling of Falling in Love&#8221; by Mason Deaver, which introduces children to the idea of a &#8220;friend with benefits.&#8221;
The guide also lists resources for &#8220;supporting&#8221; LGBT youth and books, including The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that says it works to prevent LGBT youth suicides. The Trevor Project previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disgraced-non-binary-biden-official-helped-create-school-policy-to-hide-childrens-gender-changes-from-parents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helped</a> devise a model school policy that says schools should hide suicidal students’ sexual orientation and gender identity from their parents unless the student gives permission.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Scholastic&#8217;s 2024 guide also dedicates nearly a full page to promoting the claim that affirming children&#8217;s new gender identities helps prevent their suicides, heavily citing The Trevor Project. Several recent studies have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10101898/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> that social transition does not necessarily improve children&#8217;s and teens&#8217; mental health.
&#8220;As a teacher, librarian, educator, or caregiver, how you interact with all children and teens around queerness matters,&#8221; Scholastic&#8217;s guide states. &#8220;What literature you provide them with, and how you talk about both literature and identity, can have an immense, life-changing impact on the young people in your life.&#8221;
&#8220;Everyone benefits from books with authentic representation of queer identities,&#8221; the guide adds.

Faceless portrait of librarian sorting children’s books

‘You Absolutely Know Queer Children’: Scholastic Urges Teachers To Give Kids LGBT Books In 2024 Guide

Scholastic Urges Teachers To Give Kids LGBT Books In 2024 Guide

Gender

nonbinary

Pride

Pride Month

Public Schools

School Library

One of the country&#8217;s largest Catholic advocacy groups is launching an effort led by parents to root out progressive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lgbtq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBT</a> books aimed at children from libraries ahead of Pride Month, which begins Saturday.
CatholicVote, a nonprofit focused on promoting Catholic values in public life, will debut its third annual &#8220;Hide The Pride&#8221; campaign on June 1. The campaign urges parents to rid their local taxpayer-funded library&#8217;s children&#8217;s section of sexualized and gender-related books, especially those that are prominently displayed.
&#8220;Public libraries have long been a summer destination hangout where children and parents can go for free resources, books, computer access, and community. And as public spaces, they should stay that way,&#8221; CatholicVote wrote in a <a href="https://catholicvote.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cv-hide-the-pride-printable.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">toolkit</a> for parents.
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="section">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
&#8220;But during &#8216;Pride Month,&#8217; many libraries fill their children’s sections with gay and trans books, images, and symbols – not to mention drag- queen story hours,&#8221; the group continued. &#8220;So we are equipping you to fight back and reclaim your library for your kids. We are going to &#8216;Hide the Pride.'&#8221;
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
The group is urging families to plan a library visit in early June where they go to the children&#8217;s section, take all the &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; books off the display shelves, check them out at the front desk, and go home and place the books on a shelf out of reach of children. The library books should be returned on time later, the group says.
<div class="page" title="Page 2">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
One person should also be designated to film during the library visit in case library staff gives the group trouble, CatholicVote recommended.
CatholicVote also provides a letter template for families to sign and send to their local library to protest the &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; displays in the children&#8217;s section. The group recommended gathering at least five or six people to sign the letter and delivering it to the library through either email or snail mail.
&#8220;We plan to keep these books checked out until the library agrees to remove the inappropriate content from the shelves,&#8221; the letter template reads. &#8220;Flags, signs, and book displays based on how adults experience sexual attraction and gender identity have no place in an open and public space for children.&#8221;
Catholic Vote also urged parents to share their videos, photos, and stories to encourage others.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716990157394000&amp;usg=AOvVaw33qQydjIo8bet419amChif">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
&#8220;It is always powerful to know you are not alone in this fight for the soul of our children,&#8221; the group said.
<div>“Our campaign is designed to empower communities to take back public spaces from the radical LGBT movement that seeks to destroy the innocence of our children, while coercing parents and citizens into endorsing the latest forms of sexual perversion,&#8221; Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote said in a statement.</div>
<div></div>
<div>&#8220;No child needs to see a graphic how-to manual on gay sex. Yet today we are told that this pornography must be proudly displayed in taxpayer-funded public libraries and foisted on our children,&#8221; Burch said. &#8220;Americans are fed up with being told that they must surrender their children and public spaces to an aggressive LGBT agenda. Parents have every right to demand that libraries shield this gross content from their children and that basic standards of decency be respected.&#8221;</div>
Over the last few years, parents across the country have vocally opposed a slew of children&#8217;s books dealing with gender ideology and sexuality — some containing pornographic content. Such books have popped up in libraries, particularly school libraries where children have access to them.
Some of the books that have raised concerns among parents are “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel with explicit sexual content, “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” which includes descriptions of anal sex and masturbation, “I Love My Colorful Nails,” about a boy whose classmates laugh at him when he paints his nails, “Ho’onani: Hula Warrior” about a Hawaiian girl who wants to lead the all-boys hula troupe at her school, and “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish” by Lil Miss Hot Mess, a founder of Drag Queen Story Hour, which is a nursery rhyme book about drag shows.

Reading Is Fundamental

Catholic Group Launches Parent-Led Effort To Root Out Children’s LGBT Books From Libraries Ahead Of Pride Month

Catholic Group Launches Parent-Led Effort To Root Out Children's LGBT Books From Libraries Ahead Of Pride Month

Catholic

Drag Queen story hour

Reading for fun sharply declines around age nine in an alarming trend that coincides with years of learning loss since the pandemic, data shows.
Only 35% of nine-year-olds are reading at least five days a week compared to 57% of eight-year-olds, <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/readingreport/navigate-the-world.html">according</a> to the latest Scholastic survey on the issue.
&#8220;The number of kids who say they love reading drops significantly from 40% among eight-year-olds to 28% among nine-year-olds,&#8221; the Scholastic report <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/scholastic/site/KFRR/KFRR_7th%20Edtidion.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notes</a>.
The trend, <a href="https://www.scholastic.com/readingreport/navigate-the-world.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dubbed</a> the &#8220;decline by nine&#8221; has concerned researchers, who note that reaching reading proﬁciency by third grade is a good predictor of academic success.
Sales of books aimed at children eight through 12 were down 10% in the first three quarters of last year after dropping 16% in 2022, according to data from Circana BookScan.
Meanwhile, books aimed at other age groups are not underperforming compared to 2019, the data shows.
Smartphones and more screen time could also be part of the problem, experts say, but the issue seems to go deeper than just screens.
One of the main drivers of the &#8220;decline by nine&#8221; appears to be the pandemic&#8217;s school disruptions.
“I don’t think it’s possible to overstate how disruptive the pandemic was on middle grade readers,” <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/92580-the-shifting-middle-grade-market.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Circana&#8217;s Kristen McLean, an analyst in the children&#8217;s book industry.
“They lost most of their main sources of discovery, including bookstores, teachers, librarians, and seeing what their friends were reading, and at the same time they spent lots of time on screens of all sizes,” McLean said.
Another analyst <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2024/05/kids-reading-fun-books-decline-by-nine-crisis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> Slate that children who are not encouraged to take an interest in books at this crucial age will not want to read books as adults.
Additionally, teachers increasingly focus less on encouraging young students to read entire books and more on assigning them excerpts, taking a lot of the fun out of reading, children’s book author Joanne O’Sullivan told Slate.
The disinterest in reading for fun starting around third grade dovetails with disastrous learning loss in school over the last few years.
Last year, one study <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawsuit-forces-california-schools-to-spend-2-billion-in-covid-funds-on-learning-loss">showed</a> that students would need an average of four and a half months of extra math instruction and just over four months of additional reading instruction to catch up to the typical pre-COVID student.
Parents and teachers hoped kids would learn more quickly to catch up, but those hopes have not been realized. The same study showed fourth through eighth graders making even slower academic progress in reading and math in 2022 than before the pandemic.

Menu