Recent Controversies on Book Banning
In December 2021, Oklahoma State Senator Robert Stanbridge introduced Senate Bill 1142, which gave parents the right to demand that public schools remove certain "objectionable" books from public school libraries. Critics of the legislation, such as Oklahomans for Equality, claimed that the bill was unconstitutional and targeted LGBTQ+ youth. However, supporters believed that it addressed a parental concern to control and protect their children's exposure to books that they deem inappropriate. This bill epitomizes a broader national movement to ban books that express topics on gender racism, and sexuality.
The debate over book banning centered around the ability of parents and legislators to censor books in school libraries. The Oklahoma bill gives any parent the control to limit access to books for all children. Stanbridge and parents put together a list of books that they want to ban. However, most of the books on the list pertain to LGBTO+ issues. He said that he "hasn't seen any examples of heterosexual books that fall under the [list].” Stanbridge thinks that the books being uprooted at school are pushing a gay liberal agenda. He has concerns about "overly-sexualized books." Stanbridge created and advocated for this bill because he "thinks parents and grandparents, guardians should have a say on whether their kids are exposed to these books" (3). However, if this bill gets passed, it will result in discrimination against kids who identify with the LGBTQ+ community.
Both parties involved in the debate hold children's education at the heart of this issue. Proponents of book bans are invested in this debate because they're fearful that their children are exposed to non-age appropriate sexual content. They believe that parents should have an equal say in the schooling system to decide if their children should be exposed to specific books. Moms for Liberty voiced the shared concern that some children may not be ready to understand complex and sensitive topics such as gender and sexuality. She said, "Parents should not be vilified for asking if a book is appropriate. Some books involve sexual activity... and children are not ready for that kind of material" (1). Parents supporting this bill want to decide when they think their kids are ready. Alternatively, opponents say that having books which discuss these issues is important to encourage discussion and promote inclusion. Oklahomans for Equality and other parents argue that by banning books, the school is silencing important conversations. When LGBTQ+ children are not represented in literature, they feel as though their thoughts and opinions are not important enough. This may lead to feelings of loneliness, drepression, and even suicide. Morgan Allen, director of OFE, reiterated this idea: "[book banning] send[s] negative messages to our young people that they can't be who they are, that they should be ashamed of who they are" (3). As a result, book banning discriminates against LGBTQ+ youth.
Ultimately, what is at stake is parental control over their child's education. The bill raises an issue of parental rights and the role that parents play in education. Virginia Governor Youngkin "rallied his supporters by framing book bans as an issue of parental control and highlighted the issue in a campaign ad featuring a mother who wanted Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' removed from her son's high school curriculum" (1). Not only has this bill raised the issues of parental control, but it has also become a politicized issue with Governor Yougnkin's advertisement. Opposing parents and legislators claim that parents should not let their opinions affect other children. Red, Wine, and Blue, a parental activism group, holds online training sessions to teach parents how to fight back against book bans. One of their training sessions is titled, "Own individual freedom: You can decide what is right for your child, but you don't get to dictate what's right for other families" (2). RWB acknowledges that some parents may disagree with the content being taught, but there needs to be a measure so that only their children are affected by their parent's views.
While each person is entitled to their own opinions on the debate, it is important to understand that education lies at the heart of this discourse. Are children receiving a thorough education if they are only being shown one point of view? No teacher wants to limit the amount of information, good or bad, that children are exposed to, because an abundance of information is needed to shape views and ideas. Education is exposure to many varying perspectives. In the real world, people will be shown different ideas that they may or may not agree with, and children need to be prepared. Both sides of the argument must take a step back and ask themselves: Will book banning impede or further their child's education?
1 - Elizabeth, A. Harris and Alter, Alexandra. “Book Ban Efforts Spread Across the U.S.” The New York Times. January 30, 2022.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/30/books/book-ban-us-schools.html
2 - Hollingsworth, Heather. “Book Bans Have Reached Levels Not Seen in Decades – But Nationwide Activism to Oppose Them Is Growing, Too.” PBS NewsHour. March 1, 2022.
3 - Stecklein, Janelle. “Oklahoma Bill Gives Parents the Right to Have a Book Removed From a School Library.” Mcalester News. December 27, 2021. https://www.mcalesternews.com/cnhi_network/oklahoma-bill-gives-parents-the-right-to-have-a-book-removed-from-a-school-library/article_2cd5f468-641c-11ec-9674-475897eac565.html
