North Dakota Republican Governor Kelly Armstrong vetoed a bill this week that would have required school districts to keep books determined to be &#8220;sexually explicit&#8221; out of the reach of students, saying that the bill was a &#8220;misguided&#8221; attempt to &#8220;legislate morality.&#8221;
Armstrong on Tuesday vetoed Senate Bill 2307, which would have prohibited school districts from maintaining &#8220;explicit sexual material&#8221; in classrooms and libraries and would allow concerned parents and others to initiate a review of materials they believe may be in violation of the law. In his veto message, Armstrong said that enforcing the bill would be &#8220;unworkable&#8221; and infringed on free speech.
&#8220;While I recognize the concerns that led to its introduction, SB 2307 represents a misguided attempt to legislate morality through overreach and censorship. The bill imposes vague and punitive burdens on professionals and opens the door to a host of unintended and damaging consequences for our communities,&#8221; he <a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SB-2307-veto-message-signed.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
The legislation would have expanded on a <a href="https://legiscan.com/ND/text/HB1205/id/2789486" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law</a> passed in 2023 that barred public libraries from keeping sexually explicit books in their children&#8217;s section. That law also requires public libraries to have a policy in place to keep explicit books out of the children&#8217;s section.
SB 2307 would have expanded those guidelines to school districts, requiring districts to ensure that students were not exposed to sexually explicit material through physical books or online resources offered to them. Districts would also have been mandated to put policies in place to ensure compliance.
The proposal would have created a way for &#8220;interested parties&#8221; to challenge decisions made by schools, and given them an opportunity to appeal to an oversight board and the local state&#8217;s attorney. Local prosecutors would also have been given the power to prosecute for violations of the law.
The governor&#8217;s office told The Daily Wire it had no further comment on the legislation other than the veto message.
In that message, Armstrong called the legislation &#8220;redundant&#8221; and &#8220;overly burdensome,&#8221; saying that it could lead to &#8220;the next literary masterpiece&#8221; being kept out of North Dakota libraries. He also believed it would open up a floodgate of complaints for innocuous books that would bog down library and school officials.
&#8220;In today’s world of social media, streaming services, websites, cable TV and movies where profanity, drug use, violence and nudity are harder to avoid than to find, the amount of time, money and taxpayer resources spent on where a book is placed in a library would be better used elsewhere,” he wrote in his message.
The legislation had passed the Republican-dominated state Senate 27-20 and the House 49-45.
“We are harming our children, that’s all there is to it,” said state Senator Keith Boehm during a hearing on the proposal. “The bill is all about protecting kids from this material. It has nothing against adults.”
The issue of sexually explicit books has been a major concern across the country as parents have rallied to protect their kids from graphic material at both public and school libraries.
Armstrong also <a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/briefs/armstrong-vetoes-north-dakota-private-school-voucher-bill-but-signals-support-for-competing-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vetoed another</a> Republican-backed piece of legislation this week. On Wednesday, he vetoed a school choice proposal that would have created Education Savings Accounts for private school students. The governor said that the bill failed to &#8220;deliver the school choice North Dakota needs, especially in rural areas where nonpublic school options are few and far between.” He asked lawmakers to send him a bill that would provide education vouchers to a broader swath of students.

Postmaster General DeJoy Testifies Before House Oversight Committee

GOP Governor Vetoes Bill Meant To Shield Kids From ‘Sexually Explicit’ Books At School

Education

gender ideology

North Dakota

Politics

School Choice

School Library

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

Children

Children's Books

Gender

LGBT

LGBTQ

nonbinary

Pride

Pride Month

Public Schools

Social Issues

Transgender

U.S.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pink-to-give-away-banned-books-during-tour-stops-in-florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pink</a> posted a list of what she said were &#8220;banned books&#8221; that she planned to give away during her four concert stops in Florida, but the problem is they aren&#8217;t really banned in the state.
The 44-year-old pop star recently <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4307152-pink-banned-books-florida-tour/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> she&#8217;s teamed up with a nonprofit called <a href="https://pen.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PEN</a> America to hand out 2,000 &#8220;banned books&#8221; while touring the Sunshine State.
&#8220;Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that&#8217;s why I am unwilling to stand by and watch while books are banned by schools,&#8221; Pink said in a <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pink-give-out-banned-books-florida-shows-1234876749/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>.
&#8220;It&#8217;s especially hateful to see authorities take aim at books about race and racism and against LGBTQ authors and those of color,&#8221; she added in her statement. &#8220;We have made so many strides toward equality in this country and no one should want to see this progress reversed. No more banned books.&#8221;
After <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pink-to-give-away-banned-books-during-tour-stops-in-florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> of Pink&#8217;s vow to distribute the books surfaced, the &#8220;Just Give Me A Reason&#8221; hitmaker took to <a href="https://x.com/Pink/status/1724224528740463099?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a> and listed several publications she claimed &#8220;have been banned from schools in Florida, including &#8220;To Kill A Mockingbird,&#8221; &#8220;A Catcher In The Rye,&#8221; &#8220;The Kite Runner,&#8221; &#8220;The Bluest Eye,&#8221; and &#8220;The Diary of Anne Frank.&#8221;
https://twitter.com/Pink/status/1724224528740463099?s=20
A context alert was added to Pink&#8217;s post that read: &#8220;Readers added context they thought people might want to know. This list has been proven incorrect. These books are not banned in Florida. In fact, some are on Florida&#8217;s required reading list. Fact check: Fake list of banned Florida books circulates widely online.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-friday-gift-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE</a>
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis&#8217; press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, also hit back and provided a list on <a href="https://x.com/JeremyRedfernFL/status/1724400120844685782?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a> of the the books that are on &#8220;Florida&#8217;s BEST Standards English Language Arts&#8221; list, which includes books like &#8220;To Kill A Mockingbird&#8221; and &#8220;The Diary of Anne Frank.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re used to ill-informed attacks from California&#8217;s liberal elites, and sadly, this is another example,&#8221; Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. told The Daily Wire in a statement. &#8220;It&#8217;s easy to tell she&#8217;s lying when several of the books on her list are actually required reading in Florida.&#8221;
&#8220;When we took nation-leading action to support parental rights, we knew the woke mob would come for us, but with Governor DeSantis as the leader of our state, we were undeterred,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;We will continue to fight for parents and make sure Florida remains the national leader in education.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
To Kill A Mockingbird was pulled from shelves in Palm Beach School District in July 2022, to review under state legislation, HB 1069. This is a case where the book was returned to classrooms with “Instructional Statements” on how to use the book in the classroom.
— P!nk (@Pink) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pink/status/1724653698381385852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
The singer later admitted &#8220;To Kill A Mockingbird&#8221; wasn&#8217;t banned in Florida schools.

Pink

Pink Lists ‘Banned Books’ She Will Give Away In Florida. There’s Just One Problem.

Pink Lists 'Banned Books' She Will Give Away In Florida. There's Just One Problem.

Celebrities

Entertainment

Florida

Ron DeSantis

Superstar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pink-says-she-almost-died-after-overdosing-at-a-rave-in-1995-i-was-off-the-rails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pink</a> said she plans to give away thousands of what she called &#8220;banned&#8221; books during her upcoming tour stops in Florida following legislation which prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
During an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzkHBh8Mjhs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram Live</a> on Sunday, the 44-year-old pop star <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4307152-pink-banned-books-florida-tour/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> she&#8217;s teamed up with the <a href="https://pen.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PEN</a> America non-profit organization to give away 2,000 books throughout her four concert dates in the state which she said are &#8220;banned.&#8221;
&#8220;Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that&#8217;s why I am unwilling to stand by and watch while books are banned by schools,&#8221; Pink said in a <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pink-give-out-banned-books-florida-shows-1234876749/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>.
&#8220;It&#8217;s especially hateful to see authorities take aim at books about race and racism and against LGBTQ authors and those of color,&#8221; she added in her statement. &#8220;We have made so many strides toward equality in this country and no one should want to see this progress reversed. No more banned books.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Periodic reminder that when they accuse us of “banning books” they’re referring to p0rnographic books which are offered to kids in schools across the country. For some reason they never provide visuals…
Now Pink is pledging to give kids p0rnographic books in Florida. Why would… <a href="https://t.co/H2Nq0LEMGm">pic.twitter.com/H2Nq0LEMGm</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1724118635596087578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
&#8220;I&#8217;m a voracious reader and I&#8217;m a mom of two kids who are also voracious readers,&#8221; Pink continued in her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzkHBh8Mjhs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram Live</a>. &#8220;I can&#8217;t imagine my own parents telling me what my kids can and cannot read — let alone someone else&#8217;s parents, let alone someone else that doesn&#8217;t even have children that are deciding what my children can read.&#8221;
In 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed the Parental Rights in Education law <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1557" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1557</a> which prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools in the Sunshine state, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/authors-of-childrens-book-about-penguin-with-two-dads-sue-florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The &#8220;Just Give Me A Reason&#8221; hitmaker has been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ community and previously talked about the queer community&#8217;s support of her.
&#8220;I think [my LGBTQ+ following] just speaks to who I am and what I believe in, and what I&#8217;ve always been,&#8221; Pink told the <a href="https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/originals/pink-interview-trustfall-gay-times/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gay Times</a>. &#8220;I am definitely an ally and to be understood for that is a wonderful feeling. For any of us to be understood, that&#8217;s what we want in life, right? We want to love, be loved and be seen.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/library-group-frames-removal-of-graphic-sexual-content-from-school-libraries-as-record-number-of-book-bans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Library Group Frames Removal Of Graphic Sexual Content From School Libraries As &#8216;Record Number&#8217; Of &#8216;Book Bans&#8217;</a>

Pink To Give Away ‘Banned’ Books During Tour Stops In Florida

Pink To Give Away ‘Banned' Books During Tour Stops In Florida

Quick quiz: Do you think public libraries should promote socialism? Do you think they should host drag queen story time for children? And do you think they should be allowed to discriminate against Christians? If you answered “no” to these questions, the Left-wing media likely thinks you’re a fascist.
The truth, of course, is a lot less sensational and a lot more straightforward. Simply put, progressive activists are using positions of influence and government resources to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marxist-lesbian-president-of-american-library-association-doubles-down-on-agenda-for-a-better-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">push their ideology</a> on the American people. This is especially apparent at the American Library Association (ALA), whose self-described “Marxist” president <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/aug/30/american-library-association-faces-backlash-over-m/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wants</a> to turn libraries into spaces of “queerness and difference rather than democracy and citizenship.”
As normal and sane people have noticed this trend, they have begun to push back, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/library-book-ban-association-withdraw-7f5743a9e464433a745697f9111d7f6b">resulting</a> in a slew of withdrawals from the ALA. This “exodus” isn’t about a “conservative book ban,” no matter what the Associated Press claims. This is about Americans not wanting themselves — or their children — to be subjected to Left-wing propaganda.
Critic Dan Kleinman puts it well <a href="https://twitter.com/SexHarassed">when he says</a> the problem with the ALA is that it has “changed from an organization that helped communities and used common sense into one that just promotes a view.” Similarly, Commissioner Diana Finegan of Florida’s Citrus County <a href="https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/local/county-cuts-funding-to-american-library-association/article_d7211d47-7266-5a9b-b100-97808b237d68.html">states</a>, “[l]ibraries should be educating the public, not indoctrinating.” She explains that the county removed the ALA’s annual fee from its budget because the government “does not need to give … tax dollars to any organization run by a Marxist.”
And there is little doubt that the ALA is using federal tax dollars to do its dirty work. Earlier this year, the organization <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/kirk-cameron-american-library-association-cancel-storytime-event">issued guidance</a> to prevent the Christian publishing company Brave Books from hosting events at public libraries. In response, Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and I sent a <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubioalaletterreligiousdiscrimination/">letter</a> to the Institute of Museum and Library Services demanding an investigation into the ALA’s blatant religious discrimination.
Meanwhile, scandals continue to flow from ALA leadership. On September 2, 2023, President Emily Drabinski <a href="https://karlyn.substack.com/p/exclusive-recording-american-library">attended</a> a socialist presentation on “fugitive pedagogy,” or “how to smuggle socialist ideas like Critical Race Theory into the classroom even when the law outlaws it.” Afterward, Drabinski said that libraries “need … to be a site of socialist organizing.” This is insane, even for a progressive organization.
The ALA’s defenders argue that those who leave the organization threaten “free access to ideas.” They also <a href="https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/local/it-is-wrong-it-is-so-wrong/article_3a739647-2e12-55cf-a1c5-66c916267b1f.html#:~:text=County%20cuts%20funding%20to%20American,on%20LGBTQ%20materials%2C%20drag%20que%E2%80%A6">call</a> those pushing back on the ALA “Nazis” and warn “that’s exactly how Hitler came to power.” It’s ironic, because the ALA is the censor, and it’s painfully obvious that the movement to abandon it is motivated by a desire for more freedom, not less.
Americans shouldn’t have toxic ideology pushed on them in libraries, just as they shouldn’t have it pushed on them in schools. Unless the ALA apologizes for its appalling behavior and corrects its course immediately, withholding membership dues is probably the sanest thing public officials can do.
Senator Marco Rubio represents the state of Florida and sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Library Sign

Library ‘Exodus’: Public Officials Are Right To Leave The American Library Association

Library 'Exodus': Public Officials Are Right To Leave The American Library Association

Drag Queen story hour

Leftists

Library

Marco Rubio

Opinion

Readers Pass

An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iowa</a> school district will review nearly 400 books that were flagged for depictions of sex acts and references to gender identity.
The Urbandale Community School District northwest of Des Moines will review 374 books to figure out whether they violate a new state law.
The new law prohibits schools from purchasing books that depict sex acts and also prohibits teaching gender identity or sexual orientation to students younger than seventh grade.
Governor Kim Reynolds (R) signed the law in May, and it took effect on July 1.
A spokeswoman for UCSD <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2023/07/31/urbandale-school-district-iowa-book-ban-law-flagged-ulysses-color-purple-heartstopper-lgbtq-themes/70459691007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the list does not necessarily represent any books currently in the school system, but if a book is currently in the system, it must be removed.
UCSD spokeswoman Dena Claire <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/iowa-school-district-review-nearly-400-books-flagged-sex-act-depictions-gender-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that with the school year starting soon, &#8220;we did not want to put our teachers in a position where they had to guess as to what may or may not be acceptable.&#8221;
When lawmakers debated the law in the spring, proponents focused on several books that contain explicit images and graphic descriptions of sexual acts.
Two of those books were &#8220;Gender Queer&#8221; by Maia Kobabe and &#8220;All Boys Aren&#8217;t Blue&#8221; by George M. Johnson. “Gender Queer” includes illustrations of sex between two males with a sex toy, oral sex, masturbation, and other sexually explicit content. Both titles have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/01/books/maia-kobabe-gender-queer-book-ban.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> in <a href="https://time.com/6120915/george-m-johnson-all-boys-arent-blue-book-bans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many</a> school libraries across the country, often getting banned by schools when outraged parents raised the alarm.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Both books <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2023/07/31/urbandale-school-district-iowa-book-ban-law-flagged-ulysses-color-purple-heartstopper-lgbtq-themes/70459691007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are on</a> the Urbandale district&#8217;s list of books to review.
Other books on Urbandale&#8217;s list are &#8220;I Love My Colorful Nails,&#8221; about a boy whose classmates laugh at him when he paints his nails, &#8220;Ho&#8217;onani: Hula Warrior&#8221; about a Hawaiian girl who wants to lead the all-boys hula troupe at her school, and &#8220;The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish&#8221; by Lil Miss Hot Mess, a founder of Drag Queen Story Hour, which is a nursery rhyme book about drag shows.
&#8220;In the absence of guidance from the Iowa Department of Education regarding implementation of SF496, we had to take a fairly broad interpretation of the law knowing that if our interpretation was too finite, our teachers and administrators could be faced with disciplinary actions according to the new law,&#8221; the UCSD spokeswoman told Fox News.
She said that the district began compiling the book list when they reviewed &#8220;quarantined&#8221; books from other states that had passed similar laws restricting books at public schools. The list is also not an &#8220;all-inclusive list&#8221; and could change, she <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2023/07/31/urbandale-school-district-iowa-book-ban-law-flagged-ulysses-color-purple-heartstopper-lgbtq-themes/70459691007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;We have a process for staff to question a book on the list and/or recommend additional books they feel may apply,&#8221; the district spokeswoman added.
The Urbandale district serves about 4,000 students.
The issue of sexually explicit and other inappropriate content being easily available to children in their school libraries and curricula has become a hot-button issue over the last few years.
Parents have shown up at school board meetings across the country to raise their concerns, sometimes even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-mom-reads-graphic-gay-porn-found-in-school-library-to-school-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reading</a> graphic passages from books they find objectionable in order to make their point.

Connecticut School District Prepares Classrooms For Hybrid Learning

Iowa School District Will Review Nearly 400 Books Flagged For Sex Acts, Gender Identity

Books

Iowa

A federal judge has blocked an Arkansas law that would have hit librarians with criminal charges if they provided &#8220;harmful&#8221; books to children.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-blocks-arkansas-law-banning-librarians-exposing-minors-harmful-material" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a preliminary injunction Saturday against the law.
The new <a href="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2FACT372.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law</a> would have made it a Class A misdemeanor for libraries to knowingly provide a child with any “harmful” material, punishable in Arkansas by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
Arkansas law <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2020/title-5/subtitle-6/chapter-68/subchapter-5/section-5-68-501/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defines</a> &#8220;harmful to minors&#8221; as containing nudity or sexual content, appeals to &#8220;a prurient interest in sex to minors,&#8221; lacks &#8220;serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic, or political value for minors,&#8221; and is considered &#8220;offensive&#8221; to show to children by current community standards.
The judge&#8217;s injunction said the law “would permit, if not encourage, library committees and local governmental bodies to make censorship decisions based on content or viewpoint,” violating the First Amendment.
He noted that providing children with obscene material is already illegal in Arkansas. Previously though, libraries <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2020/title-5/subtitle-6/chapter-68/subchapter-3/section-5-68-308/#:~:text=(c)%20No%20employee%2C%20director,is%20claimed%20to%20be%20obscene." target="_blank" rel="noopener">were protected</a> from criminal charges for handing out obscene material if they were &#8220;acting within the scope of his or her regular employment.&#8221;
The judge also said the definition of “harmful” materials was vague.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed the measure in March, and the law was set to take effect on Tuesday.
The Central Arkansas Library System as well as the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, and several local libraries filed a lawsuit over the law last month.
The plaintiffs said the law would put libraries and booksellers in the impossible position of figuring out how to prevent minors from seeing adult material or face criminals charges and fines.
The plaintiffs also took issue with the part of the law that says that any person &#8220;affected&#8221; by material may challenge the &#8220;appropriateness&#8221; of the material in the library.
After the judge&#8217;s decision, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2023/07/29/libraries-books-bans-arkansas/4ee8cb88-2e56-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> his office would be &#8220;reviewing the judge&#8217;s opinion and will continue to vigorously defend the law.&#8221;
The ACLU of Arkansas, which represented some of the plaintiffs, hailed the judge&#8217;s Saturday decision, saying the law would have would have jeopardized the First Amendment rights of all Arkansas residents.
&#8220;It’s regrettable that we even have to question whether our constitutional rights are still respected today. The question we had to ask was — do Arkansans still legally have access to reading materials?&#8221; ACLU of Arkansas Executive Director Holly Dickson said.
In recent years, children&#8217;s material in libraries as well as school curricula has become a hot button issue for parents who say inappropriate content is within arm&#8217;s reach for their children.
Last month, hundreds of parents and others in Virginia packed into a county Board of Supervisors meeting to protest dozens of children’s books in the Front Royal public library they said contain inappropriate sexual content.
Parents at school board meetings across the country have <a href="https://katv.com/news/nation-world/mom-confronts-north-carolina-school-board-over-vulgar-library-books-wake-county-public-system-asheville-city-schools-what-girls-are-made-of-elana-arnold-john-amanchukwu-pastor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shown up</a> at school board meetings to protest inappropriate books in their children&#8217;s school libraries, sometimes even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_j44BXqcaA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reading</a> obscene passages from the books to get their point across.

Blair Faces Mounting Revolt in Top-Up Fees Row

Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Ban On Librarians Giving Children ‘Harmful’ Books

Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Ban On Librarians Giving Children 'Harmful' Books

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bible</a> has been pulled from the shelves of libraries in a school district in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/utah" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Utah</a> after a parent claimed that it could be considered “pornographic.”
Elementary and middle school students in Utah’s Davis School District, located north of Salt Lake City, will no longer be able to find the Bible at school libraries after a district review committee <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/utah-parent-upset-book-bans-gets-bible-pulled-school-shelves-expose-ba-rcna87450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decided</a> to make it only available at high school libraries. 
School district spokesman Christopher Williams told NBC News that the committee chose to &#8220;retain the book in school library circulation only at the high school level based on age appropriateness due to vulgarity or violence.&#8221; 
The decision came after a parent, upset by a recent state law designed to keep “pornographic or indecent” materials out of school, filed a complaint against the Bible. 
&#8220;I thank the Utah Legislature and Utah Parents United for making this bad faith process so much easier and way more efficient,&#8221; the complaint said. &#8220;Now we can all ban books and you don’t even need to read them or be accurate about it. Heck, you don’t even need to see the book!&#8221;
&#8220;Incest, onanism, bestiality, prostitution, genital mutilation, fellatio, dildos, rape, and even infanticide,&#8221; the complaint continued. &#8220;You’ll no doubt find that the Bible, under Utah Code Ann. § 76-10-1227, has ‘no serious values for minors’ because it’s pornographic by our new definition.&#8221;
Another person has already <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2023/03/22/utah-parent-says-bible-contains/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a complaint to put the Bible back into circulation at all school levels, not just high school. 
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The controversy in Utah followed a host of complaints around the country about sexually explicit books being available at school libraries. This has prompted drives from conservative lawmakers and parents to remove the content. 
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), for instance, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/library-group-frames-removal-of-graphic-sexual-content-from-school-libraries-as-record-number-of-book-bans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently </a>pushed to remove volumes such as “Let’s Talk About It,” which shows graphic depictions of how children can masturbate, as well as “Gender Queer,” which includes cartoons of homosexual activity.
In Virginia, a mother named Stacy Langton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-mother-who-exposed-pornographic-reading-material-in-curriculum-barred-from-entering-high-school-library" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was barred</a> from entering the school’s library after she exposed pornographic reading material available to Fairfax High School students. She made national news when she read from several books available to students that included graphic depictions of sex and pedophilia.

USA, New Jersey, View of Bible and cross

Bible Pulled From Utah School District Libraries Because Of ‘Vulgarity Or Violence’

Bible

Utah

An 11-year-old boy from Maine shocked his school board when he took the microphone during a meeting and read aloud from a sexually graphic book he said he had found on display at his middle school library.
According to a <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/02/28/knox-zajac-reads-aloud-from-pornographic-book-at-school-board-meeting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published by The New York Post, Knox Zajac, a sixth grader, spoke before a mid-February meeting of the Board of Windham Raymond School District, also known as RSU-14 — and as he stepped up to the lectern he explained that he was going to read a page from the book.
WATCH (contains profanity and sexually explicit language):
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Wow. An 11-year-old boy named Knox Zajac from Maine confronted his school board by reading them pornographic material found in his middle school. <a href="https://t.co/fzV5Q6zaRL">pic.twitter.com/fzV5Q6zaRL</a>
&mdash; 1776 Project PAC | Text 1776 to 76176 (@1776ProjectPac) <a href="https://twitter.com/1776ProjectPac/status/1630675434009403395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The book he read from — which has a recommended age limit of 14-and-up — was called &#8220;Nick and Charlie&#8221; and was written by Alice Oseman. It follows the story of two teen boys who get involved in sexual experimentation after sneaking alcohol from their parents.
&#8220;This book was on the stand. I would like to read you a page,&#8221; Zajac said, and he began to read directly from the book.
&#8220;&#8216;My back over my hips. I asked if he should take his clothes off. He was saying yes before I finished my sentence. He’s pulling off my T-shirt, laughing when I can’t undo his shirt buttons. He’s undoing my belt. I’m reaching into his bedside drawer for a condom,'&#8221; he read.
Zajac continued reading to the end of the page and then explained what happened when he, three years below the recommended age for that particular book, went to the librarian to check it out and take it home.
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-39419">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
&#8220;When I rented it out and showed my dad it, the librarian asked if I wanted more and if I wanted a graphic novel version,&#8221; he said.
The boy&#8217;s father, Adam Zajac, reportedly spoke up at the same meeting — and he also complained about how accessible sexually explicit material was to children who were well below the recommended ages for such content.
&#8220;This is bulls***,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We do not need to be having literature that is showing boys how to s*** d*** … you may think the schools know what’s best for our children. You know who knows best for our children? The parents.&#8221;
Knox Zajac explained in a subsequent interview that he had taken the book to the school board because it made him &#8220;uncomfortable&#8221; to have something so graphic readily available to himself and other students his age.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sixth-grader Knox Zajac tells <a href="https://twitter.com/WGME?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WGME</a> why he read from the controversial book &quot;Nick and Charlie&quot; during a recent school board meeting in Maine. <a href="https://t.co/JlGPgBOedy">pic.twitter.com/JlGPgBOedy</a>
&mdash; Crisis in the Classroom (@CITClassroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/CITClassroom/status/1630958292926185473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Searching Porno

11-Year-Old Shocks School Board, Reads Aloud From Sexually Graphic Book He Got From Middle School

Pornography

First lady Jill Biden, who got her doctoral degree in educational from the University of Delaware, implicitly criticized American parents who feel inappropriate books are lying on the bookshelves of the children’s school libraries.
In recent years, many parents have stood up to school boards and denounced schools for their inclusion of books they feel teach inappropriate values to their children.
Biden was prompted by NBC’s “Today” host Sheinelle Jones, who started by noting something that would have caused nary a ripple in the past.
“Parents and politicians are now weighing in on what books should be in our school libraries and what their kids are being taught. Where is the line in your opinion, with how much of a say parents should have when it comes to what their kids are learning in school,” she asked.
“Well, I think with the pandemic, parents saw how hard teachers work and how difficult this job really is,” Biden <a href="https://grabien.com/story.php?id=393629" target="_blank" rel="noopener">answered</a>. “And I think  if they work together in their school districts and decide what they want with their curriculum.”
“Is there a balance between this book should be in the library, this book is under review?” Jones asked.
“All books should be in the library,” Biden pronounced. “All books. This is America. We don’t ban books.”
In November 2021, the mother of a Fairfax high school student in Virginia was <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/virginia-mother-who-exposed-pornographic-reading-material-in-curriculum-barred-from-entering-high-school-library/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prevented</a> from entering the school’s library. Stacy Langton was told by Fairfax High School’s acting principal Maureen Keck she was forbidden from entering the library, the Washington Examiner <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/virginia-mother-who-exposed-pornographic-books-barred-from-high-school-library" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Prior to her being barred from the library, as Luke Rosiak of The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-mom-reads-graphic-gay-porn-found-in-school-library-to-school-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, Langton had made national news after reading aloud to the school board several books available to students that included graphic depictions of sex and pedophilia.
As opposed to Jill Biden’s laissez-faire attitude regarding books that might be inappropriate for children, in March, Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1467, the “K-12 Education” bill, into law. The bill <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1467/BillText/er/PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>:
<blockquote>
Each district school board must adopt a policy regarding an objection by a parent or a resident of the county to the use of a specific instructional material, which clearly describes a process to handle all objections and provides for resolution.
The process must provide the parent or resident the opportunity to proffer evidence to the district school board that: Any material used in a classroom, made available in a school library, or included on a reading list contains content that is pornographic or prohibited under s. 847.012, is not suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material presented, or is inappropriate for the grade level and age group for which the material is used.
</blockquote>
DeSantis called the bill the “strongest curriculum transparency legislation in the country.”

US-POLITICS-BIDEN-PRIDE

‘All Books Should Be In The Library’: Jill Biden Takes Shot At Parents Concerned About Inappropriate Books In School Libraries

Jill Biden Takes Shot At Parents Concerned About Inappropriate Books In School Libraries

Jill Biden

Menu