Stop book bans in Louisiana!
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by the Real Name Campaign NOLA.
On Tues, Feb 7, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry held a press conference to release a document titled the “Protecting Innocence Report”. This report cites young adult novels as “far from age appropriate” and containing “extremely graphic sexual content”.
These books, in fact, contain no such content. They contain content that is intended and appropriate for teens and young adults. They contain human anatomy, biological functions, and sexual experiences that most teens would be familiar with. In a state with a proven track record of failure in the field of sexual education, is it any wonder that teens would want such content in their public libraries?
Books targeted include Fun Home, Gender Queer: A Memoir, Breathless, The Lawn Boy, Blankets, The “V” Word, Jack of Hearts, All boys Aren't Blue, and even beloved and world-renowned author Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye
The same day, Sen. Heather Cloud pre-filed Senate Bill 7. SB7 aims to make literature like the books listed in the “Innocence Report” less accessible to youth in public libraries. It's no coincidence that the majority of the books targeted deal with LGBTQ+ experiences. SB7 comes on the heels of a national assault on the rights and dignity of trans people in red states around the country. It also coincides with racist attacks on Black studies programs and anti-racist literature around the country.
Both the report and bill reflect nothing but the dishonesty, bias, and political opportunism of their authors. Like Republican politicians around the country, Landry and Cloud are simply using LGBTQ+ people, particularly children, as punching bags to cynically boost their careers and public profile. They believe that this kind of demagoguery will endear them to the Republican movement, which is becoming more evangelical, more nationalistic, and is attacking more of our democratic rights every day.
We in the Real Name Campaign are determined to prevent the passage of SB7 or any similar legislation. We are sick and tired of the abuse that already-vulnerable LGBTQ+ minors face at the hands of these crooked lawmakers.
We demand the withdrawal of SB7, and we demand that all state senators and congresspeople denounce and oppose it.