Officials within a school district in Florida recently ordered the removal of all books and materials containing content about sexual orientation and gender identity, including books with characters who are gay.
According to NBC News, Charlotte County Schools Superintendent Mark Vianello and the school board’s attorney, Michael McKinley, ordered the removal of the reading materials during a meeting in July. They were responding to questions from the district’s librarians about Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, dubbed by liberals as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
“Books with LBGTQ+ characters are not to be included in classroom libraries or school library media centers,” the two responded, according to a district memo obtained under a public information request conducted by the pro-LGBTq+ organization Florida Freedom to Read Project and then shared with news outlets.
Shortly after, the district allowed some exceptions for high school libraries.
According to the Associated Press, Florida Freedom to Read said Charlotte’s policy is “evidence that fear over thoughtful decision making is winning the day.”
And, the group said the Florida Department of Education officials are to blame for this kind of “overreach.”
“Their failure to lead and use their power to benefit the future of Florida is a disservice to all Floridians, no matter their political leanings,” the group said in a statement. “Parents want politics out of education. We want all students to feel safe and included, so they can focus on their education while in school. Removing all representation of LGBTQ+ people in literature goes against our very principles of living in a free and just, pluralistic society.”
“Florida Freedom to Read said Charlotte’s policy is “evidence that fear over thoughtful decision making is winning the day.” But the group says Florida Department of Education officials are to blame for any district confusion or overreach.”
— Florida Freedom to Read Project (@FLFreedomRead) September 28, 2023
Yup. https://t.co/FHiLY1xi7R
At the meeting in July, librarians were reportedly told that any mention of sexual orientation or gender identity in books was prohibited from pre-K through high school classrooms “unless supported by the state academic standards” (via AP):
The librarians asked if that meant they had to remove a book even if, for example, it includes a secondary character who is gay or a main character with two moms or a gay best friend. The pair responded, “Yes,” and added that ban includes books children may bring to school themselves, even if they are not pornographic or explicit.
“These characters and themes cannot exist,” they responded, according to the memo.
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for president in 2024, has stated time and time again that schools should not be teaching kids about sexual orientation and gender identity, claiming that his state is “where woke goes to die.”