A Minnesota public school district defended its decision to remove LGBTQ children's books from elementary school shelves despite opposition from some parents and school librarians.
Rochester Public Schools announced last month that it removed Emily Nielson's 2022 book “Rainbow Parade” from the elementary school media center after parents at Franklin Elementary School raised concerns about nude illustrations in the book.
This book tells the story of a young girl who goes to a Pride parade for the first time with her two mothers. Several pages of this book contain illustrations depicting full or partial public nudity, including two men in bondage gear.
A participant holds a rainbow flag during the Pride Parade on June 4, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. (AP Photo/Satchai Lalit)
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“The sidewalk outside is filled with people waiting for the parade to start. Everyone is wearing what makes them feel like themselves, even if that means wearing almost nothing,” it read. are.
After concerns were voiced by parents, the book was reviewed by a committee of librarians, community members and teachers, who ultimately asked the school district to keep the book on its shelves, according to newspaper reports. It was recommended. Minnesota Star Tribune.
“While not every book is for everyone, our goal is to have books that are representative of all students in the district,” Tammy Van More, library media specialist for Rochester Public Schools, said in the report. That's true.''
SF Pride Grand Marshal Vinnie Yen, polled, greets the crowd during the 52nd Annual San Francisco Pride Parade and Celebration on June 26, 2022 in San Francisco, California. ((Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))
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However, Superintendent Kent Pekel decided to remove the book from the elementary school library because the nudity it depicted was inappropriate for younger children.
“My decision to order the removal of books. rainbow parade The information from our elementary school media center shelves is not based on restricting students' access to viewpoints, messages, ideas, or opinions. It is based solely on the depiction and glorification of public nudity in an illustration on page 2 of the book. “Due to its depiction of public nudity, I believe this book is unsuitable for open shelves in elementary school media centers where kindergarten-aged children can access the book without adult supervision or guidance.” he wrote.
School board members expressed a variety of opinions about the superintendent's decision, with some saying that removing the book would take the district down a “slippery slope” and remove other LGBTQ-related materials from school libraries. He voiced doubts about whether a “precedent” could be set for the removal of books.
The board ultimately approved sending the superintendent's recommendation to the Minnesota Department of Education, the Tribune reported.
GLSEN's Rainbow Library program provides free LGBTQ+ affirming literature to schools across the country (GLSEN Arizona/YouTube)
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After the topic came up at a Jan. 7 school board meeting and a parent repeatedly lashed out, Superintendent Pekel vowed to “never go back” on the school's commitment to LGBTQ students and their families. Ta. I'm angry about the district's decision..
“There is no slippery slope to turning back books that celebrate the lived experiences of LGBTQ students and families,” he vowed.
He also said that nudity was the sole reason for the decision, and that the book featured scenes that some people found offensive, including two men in bondage costumes and a protest sign that read “Silence equals death.” It was also made clear that no other content was included.
When asked for comment, Rochester Public Schools provided Fox News Digital with Pekel's previous memo to the board.
The district's decision comes amid complaints from parents about books with explicit content in school libraries.
The issue of sexually explicit LGBTQ books in public schools caused parents on both sides of the issue to attend school board meetings to voice their opinions on the issue. (David McNew/Getty Images)
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The American Library Association (ALA), the world's oldest and largest library nonprofit organization, has been an outspoken defender of “banned” books in children's libraries. In 2023, Top 10 most challenged books All of them were challenged for sexually explicit content.
During National Library Week last year, the ALA claimed that sexually explicit books were being “censored.” children's library It is discriminatory against the LGBTQ+ community.
FOX News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
