A Minnesota Public School District She defended her decision to pull an LGBTQ children's book from elementary school shelves, despite opposition from some parents and school librarians.
Rochester Public Schools said it pulled the 2022 book, “The Rainbow Parade” by Emily Nelson, from the elementary school media center last month after a Franklin Elementary School parent raised concerns about nude illustrations in the book.
The book tells the story of a young girl who goes to her first Pride parade with her parents. Several pages inside the book You have illustrations Depicts full or partial public nudity, including two men wearing bondage gear.
Participants carry a rainbow flag during the Pride Parade in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakshay Lalit)
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The text read: “The sidewalk outside is full of people waiting for the show to start. Everyone is wearing what makes them feel most like themselves. Even if it means wearing nothing at all.”
After concerns were raised by a parent, the book was reviewed by a committee made up of librarians, community members and teachers, who ultimately recommended the district keep the book on shelves, according to a report in The Minnesota Star Tribune.
“Not all books are available to everyone, but our goal is to have books that represent all students in our school district,” Tammy Van Moer, library media specialist for Rochester Public Schools, said, according to the report.
SF Pride's chosen general marshal, Vinnie Ng, 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))
However, Superintendent Kent Pickell decided to remove the book from elementary school libraries, saying the nudity shown was inappropriate for younger children.
“My decision to direct the removal of the book Rainbow parade From the shelves of our primary media center does not rely on restricting students' access to a point of view, message, idea or opinion. It is based solely on the depiction and celebration of public nudity in the illustrations on two pages of the book. “I believe the depiction of public nudity makes the book unsuitable for the open shelves of an elementary school media center where kindergarten-age students may access the book without adult supervision or guidance,” he wrote.
School board members expressed mixed opinions about the superintendent's decision, with some members wondering aloud whether removing the book would send the district down a “slippery slope” and set a “precedent” for removing other LGBTQ books from school libraries.
The board eventually agreed to send 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 U.S. (Jalesen Arizona/YouTube)
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After broaching the topic at a school board meeting on Jan. 7, Superintendent Pickell pledged there would be “no retreat” from their schools’ commitment to LGBTQ students and families, after repeated outbursts of anger from a parent Angry at the district's decision.
“There will be no slippery slope in backing away from books that celebrate the lived experiences of LGBTQ students and families,” he pledged.
He also explained that nudity alone was the reason for his decision and not any other content in the book that some might find objectionable, such as two men dressed in bondage clothing or a protest sign reading “Silence Equals Death.”
When reached for comment, Rochester Public Schools provided Fox News Digital With Bickel's previous memo to the Board.
The district's decision comes as parents face a challenge for explicit content books in school libraries.
The issue of sexually explicit LGBTQ books in public schools has brought parents on both sides of the issue to school board meetings to express their opinions on the issue. (David McNew/Getty Images)
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The American Library Association (ALA), the world's oldest and largest non-profit library organization, has been an outspoken advocate of “banned” books in children's libraries. In 2023, Top ten challenge books They were all challenged for explicit sexual content.
During National Libraries Week last year, the American Library Association claimed that sexually explicit books in… Children's libraries It is discriminatory towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Fox News' Jimmy Joseph contributed to this report.
