Parents in Maryland feel like their rights to teach their children their chosen religion are being impeded on because their kids are being taught LGBTQ picture books in school. These parents have taken their case all the way to the Supreme Court who, as of January 17, agreed to hear their case Mahmoud v. Taylor.
The Maryland parents argue the Maryland County Public Schools (MCPS) district is convincing their kids to reject their religious beliefs. They argue that the schools no longer including an option to opt-out of the lessons on the books impedes on their free exercise rights. Some of the picture books in question include Pride Puppy by Robin Stevenson and Julie McLaughlin where a puppy gets lost at a Pride parade, and Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah Brannen and Lucia Soto where a young girl is worried that when her uncle gets married to his boyfriend he won’t have time to play with her anymore. Although there is no set date to hear the case yet, it will likely be heard in spring by the Supreme Court at the end of their current term.
Right-wing, anti-LGBTQ legal groups showed support for the Maryland plaintiffs by presenting their “friends-of-the-court” briefs to the SCOTUS which are briefs that aim to assist a courts decision. These groups include: America First Legal founded by white nationalist and Trump appointee Stephen Miller, Moms Against Liberty who’s mission includes goals like banning books and halting school discussions about race, gender identity and sexual orientation, and other groups along with 25 Republican state attorney generals. These briefs argue that the LGBTQ topics are “historical anomalies without connection to citizenship” and are not relevant to the “good citizenship or professional training” that ought to be adhered to in the curriculum.
Any “professional training” the youth may need from a picture book should include teachings about how to respect people who have a different background than they do. They need to know how to have empathy and compassion for their peers. As for their instruction on how to practice “good citizenship,” would limiting a child’s knowledge about the different types of people and communities around them not stunt their growth? Is learning to respect people regardless of their sexuality or gender identity not teaching children ways to be a good citizen?
The Maryland parents claim that LGBTQ topics are “historical anomalies,” but that is just not true. LGBTQ people and gender-nonconforming culture have existed forever. Not just Two-Spirit individuals from our Indigenous communities, but the Yoruba people in West Africa do not prioritize gendered language, nor do they favor one gender expression over another. And that’s only a couple of examples. Colonialism teaches us that these are some brand new phenomena that have sprouted from nowhere instead of world-wide components of history.
This is not about “good citizenship.” This is not about religious freedoms and the right to teach your children. This is about raising a specific type of citizen. A citizen who discriminates against other people based on sexuality and gender identity. A citizen who has no respect for queer persons around them and who doesn’t even know how normal and common it is to be a queer person, so when they see their queer peers be persecuted and oppressed, they do nothing. A citizen who is grossly miseducated. This is about once again trying to erase LGBTQ+ people and any other person that doesn’t fit into the white supremacist mold that this country was founded upon. This is about suppression of any culture that deviates from what conservatism and white supremacy deem appropriate and controllable.
Listed below are some young and middle grade books that feature queer characters and narratives. Feel free to also visit any banned books list for titles that threaten to teach and connect us. My Shadow Is Pink by Scott Stuart My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao Deephaven Mystery Series by Ethan M. Aldridge
