Gay books in schools

A Supreme Court ruling over a Montgomery County lawsuit gave parents the right to opt their kids out of lessons with LGBTQ+ books. These are the children's books they relied on. A group of religious parents want to withdraw their elementary school children from class when storybooks with LGBTQ+ characters are being read. A divided U.S. Supreme Court has sided with religious parents who want to pull their children out of the classroom when a public school lesson uses LGBTQ-themed storybooks.

The decision Friday in a case brought by parents in Maryland comes as certain books are increasingly being banned from public schools and libraries. In Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion — joined by the rest of. The Supreme Court on Friday backed a group of religious parents who want to opt their elementary school children out of engaging with LGBTQ books in the classroom, another major legal win for.

At issue was whether school systems are required to provide parents with an "opt-out" option when parents claim their religious beliefs conflict with their children's course material. In a vote, the court backed the parents' claim that the Montgomery County Board of Education's decision not to allow an opt-out option for their children violated their religious rights under the Constitution's First Amendment, which protects religious expression.

The Supreme Court has a conservative majority that is often receptive to religious claims. The liberal justices dissented. The dispute arose in when the school board in the diverse county just outside Washington revised its English language arts curriculum. The board determined that it wanted more storybooks to feature LGBTQ elements to better reflect some of the families who live in the area.

The school board said that although the books are in classrooms and available for children to pick up, teachers are not required to use them in class.

why are lgbtq books being banned

Initially the school board indicated that parents would be able to opt their children out of exposure to the books, but it quickly changed course, suggesting that would be too difficult to implement. Plaintiffs include Tamer Mahmoud and Enas Barakat, a Muslim couple who have a son in elementary school. Members of the Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox churches also sued, as did a parent group called Kids First that has members of various faiths.

They said they had a right to protect their children from being taught content that conflicts with their religious beliefs by expressing support for same-sex relationships and transgender rights. A federal judge and the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U. Circuit Court of Appeals both ruled in favor of the school board. In one recent ruling, the court in ruled in favor of a Christian web designer who refused to work on same-sex weddings.

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