Library Group Frames Removal Of Graphic Sexual Content From School Libraries As ‘Record Number’ Of ‘Book Bans’

Prior attempts to ban allegedly sexually explicit material from school libraries were cited by the American Library Association as a” report number” of attempted” text restrictions” over the previous 20 years.

Recent revelations of material intended to expose sexually explicit and pornographic pictures to children at public libraries and public schools have prompted conservative lawmakers and parents to take action to remove the content. Gov. For instance, Ron DeSantis ( R – FL ) recently pushed for the removal of books like” Let’s Talk About It ,” which depicts how children can masturbate graphically, and” Gender Queer ,” in which cartoons of homosexual activity are included.

However, the number of requests to” judge collection books” has almost doubled between 2021 and 2022, according to a news release from the American Library Association on Wednesday. Targeted books and materials in school libraries made up 58 % of requests, compared to 41 % in public libraries.

According to Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom,” We’re seeing these challenges come from organized repression groups that target national collection board meetings to impose removal of a long list of books they share on public media.” ” Their goal is to stifle the voices of those who have traditionally been left out of our country’s conversations, such as members of the LGBTQIA + community or people of color.”

The proposed text removals were allegedly motivated by the materials’ alleged sexual explicitness, but the American Library Association made no mention of this. The organization has come under fire for advising young people who attend public schools to read” Gender Queer” and other similar article.

However, legacy media outlets based their reporting on the American Library Association’s interpretation of the events, paying little to no attention to the alleged sexual content that parents and authorities have sought to outlaw. The organization claimed in one document from Axios that” the vast majority of the targeted books were written by or were about people of color and the LGBTQ community ,” while in another from the New York Times, the books” have become a surrogate in the broader community battle over issues like LGBTQ rights, gender identity, and cultural inequality.”

Prominent Democrats have seen the discussion as a threat to free speech, just as Democratic officials in liberal states are working to take sexualized content off the shelves. First lady Jill Biden recently stated in an interview that” all books should be in the libraries.” ” Every book.” America is here. We do not outlaw courses.

However, parents who express concern about sexual content to their college sheets usually face censorship or additional penalties. After making regional headlines for reading many sexually explicit courses made available to students in front of college board members, Stacy Langton, whose children attend Fairfax High School in Virginia, was informed that she was no longer permitted to use the collection at the school.

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In response to global lockdowns, which gave parents a close look at their children’s education environments, an unprecedented number of families have removed their kids from people schools, sparking social justice activism in the educational system. According to a recent study published by the Urban Institute, homeschool enrollment increased by 30 % between the academic years 2019 – 2020 and 2021 – 2022, demonstrating that the trend toward home education persisted even after government schools resumed traditional instruction.