BANNED BOOKS

Pennsylvania School Board at War Over Forbidden LGBTQ+ Books

Members of a Pennsylvania school board are under fire for ratifying a new policy banning “sexual” books without consulting any of the democratic board members.

Conservative parents and Christian advocacy groups based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania managed to generate enough outrage to remove a handful of books from a local school district.

In May, after parents called for the Central Bucks School District to remove LGBTQ+ friendly titles from the public school, the library coordinator gave into their demands and requested a few titles to be pulled from shelves. All copies in the schools were to be removed within 24 hours, Reuters reports.

Two books were named in the email: Gender Queer, a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe that detailed sexual encounters, and non-fiction title This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, which featured illustrations for LGBTQ+ students.

This came after a new book-challenge policy was put into place in July 2022 in the school district. Republicans have a majority of six to three on the school district’s board of directors. Under this new policy, parents have the right to challenge a book in a school library if it depicts nudity or “sexual acts.” District staff then reviews the challenge.

The school board reportedly worked to draft Policy 109.2 with advice and legal counsel from Christian non-profit orgs associated with the Family Research Council, a group that advocates against LGBTQ+ rights.

The democratic board members were allegedly “not aware” of the involvement of any Christian or anti-LGBTQ+ groups.

“What Bucks County has become is really this microcosm of the division that we see across the country, where people on both sides are so sure that they're right,” Democrat Tabitha Dell’Angelo, one of few members of the school board who voted against the policy, said.

On the flip side, Republican board chair Dana Hunter said the policy was “very reasonable.” Hunter reportedly worked with the Independence Law Center and the Pennsylvania Family Institute on a pro bono basis. Because of that, Hunter says she was under “no obligation” to tell any other board members of their involvement.

The Central Bucks County School Board also made headlines in September 2021 for more divisions. Former Board Vice President John Gamble resigned after alleged death threats were made on his name due to his stance on mask requirements in school. After originally voting against masks, Gamble then switched his stance after Pennsylvania required them in schools. The news rocked the board, which is now undergoing a new disagreement as a result of the banned books.

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Fletcher PetersEntertainment Reporter

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