(Warning: Explicit Content)
Over the summer, the National Education Association (NEA) held its annual meeting and representative assembly in Orlando, Florida. The NEA, led by Becky Pringle, clearly prioritized a political and social agenda, promoting overtly sexual and inappropriate materials in schools across the country.
During her remarks, Pringle criticized Governor Ron DeSantis’ outspoken opposition to explicit books in schools. She exclaimed:
NEA President Becky Pringle
Mostly false or misleading. Significant errors or omissions. Mostly make believe.
Becky Pringle and her allies villainize government officials and parents who work to protect children from graphic sexual books. To Pringle, exposing young schoolchildren to these books teaches the “history, beauty, and diversity of their world.” These books cannot be categorized as such. Instead, exposing children to inappropriate content and encouraging radical gender ideology and sexually deviant behavior undeniably harms them.
Books, such as “Gender Queer,” “This Book is Gay,” “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” and many others, graphically describe sexual acts and include illustrations. Many of these books were displayed in libraries without parental knowledge or consent. Parents have found explicitly sexual books on classroom and school library bookshelves for students as young as 11 years old.
A study conducted by the Rasmussen Institute and the Capitol Resource Institute found that “89% of likely US voters think it is important that public schools fully inform parents about what is being taught to their children in classrooms.” Additionally, “69% of voters believe books containing explicit sexual depictions of sex acts… should not be present in public high school libraries. The majority opposed to sexually explicit books in public school libraries rises to 79% for middle schools and 85% for elementary schools.”
(Warning: Explicit Content)
“Gender Queer” recounts the author’s life and confusion surrounding gender and sexuality. Several scenes reveal the main character’s desire to remove her breasts and get rid of her period. Most of the book focuses on the author’s desire to change gender. One scene illustrates a sexting exchange with another biological female: “I got a new strap-on harness today. I can’t wait to put it on you. It will fill my favorite dildo perfectly…I’m going to give you the blow job of your life then I want you inside of me.” Another scene describes the main character’s visit to the San Francisco armory, which was bought by a BDSM pornography producer for filming. The American Library Association awarded “Gender Queer” the Alex award for its “special appeal to young adults, ages twelve through eighteen.”
One of the chapters in “This Book is Gay” is titled “The Ins and Outs of Gay Sex.” The author details different kinds of sexual acts and techniques for performing them. For example: “Oral sex is popping another dude’s peen in your mouth or popping yours in his.” “If you want to have anal sex, one of you is going to have to go ‘top’ (the one who puts his willy in) and the other ‘bottom’ (the one who gets the willy up his bum).” “That clitoris really does like being licked and kissed. Again, girls can take it in turns to perform oral sex or, if feeling adventurous, they can perform it at the same time.” At a school board meeting in North Carolina, a mother read passages from this book in front of committee members. Children are encouraged to leave the room around the 1-hour mark. This book has been found in several middle school libraries across the country.
“All Boys Aren’t Blue” is a memoir of a queer black person. One of the scenes graphically recounts the narrator’s first sexual encounter. The author writes: “He quickly went to giving me head…He then came up and asked if I wanted to try on him…As an avid porn watcher, the only thing I knew about anal sex previously was that it was painful.” While this book is recommended for ages fourteen to eighteen by the publisher, parents have found it in middle school libraries. Middle schoolers are usually ages ten to thirteen.
Removing these books from classrooms does not infringe on the students’ opportunity to read and learn. In Florida, school districts are required to report the number of books removed from schools. The highest count of books removed from a school was 19. These books were deemed the most violent, pornographic, or age-inappropriate. Contrary to liberal propaganda, school libraries and bookshelves are still stocked with thousands of books that kids love. Parents and community members are not banning books indiscriminately, but rather having important discussions and taking action on what is appropriate for their children.
Over the course of this back-to-school season, Independent Women’s Forum will be exposing misleading and inaccurate quotes from teachers’ unions and their advocates through a series of Unicorn Fact Checks. This is the second piece in the series.