Minnesota school district removes LGBTQ children’s book featuring nudity, despite objections
AND Minnesota Public School District defended her decision to pull a book for LGBTQ children from the shelves of her elementary schools, despite opposition from some parents and school librarians.
Rochester Public Schools said it pulled Emily Neilson’s 2022 book “The Rainbow Parade” from its elementary media center last month after a Franklin Elementary parent raised concerns about the book’s nudity illustrations.
The book is about a young girl who goes to her first Pride Parade with her two moms. A few pages inside the book have illustrations depict full or partial public nudity, including two men in bondage gear.
Participants hold a rainbow flag during the Pride Parade in Bangkok, Thailand on June 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
“The sidewalk outside is full of people waiting for the parade to start. Everyone is wearing what makes them feel most like themselves. Even if that means wearing next to nothing,” the text reads.
After a parent raised concerns, the book was reviewed by a committee made up of librarians, community members and teachers, who ultimately recommended the district keep the book on the shelves, according to a report in The Minnesota Star Tribune.
“Not all books are for everyone, but our goal is to have books that represent all students in our school district,” said Tammy Van Moer, Rochester Public Schools library media specialist, according to the report.
SF Pride Grand Marshal Vinny Eng 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))
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However, Superintendent Kent Pekel decided to remove the book from elementary school libraries, saying the nudity depicted was not suitable for younger children.
“My decision to order the removal of the book Rainbow parade from the shelves of our elementary media center is not based on limiting student 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 students as young as kindergarten can access the book without adult supervision or guidance,” he wrote.
School board members expressed mixed opinions about the principal’s decision, with some members loudly questioning whether removing the book would lead the district down a “slippery slope” and set a “precedent” for removing other LGBTQ books from school libraries.
The board ultimately approved sending the superintendent’s recommendation to the Minnesota Department of Education, the Tribune reported.
GLSEN’s “Rainbow Library” program offers free LGBTQ+ affirming literature in schools across the US (GLSEN Arizona/YouTube)
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After the topic was raised at a Jan. 7 school board meeting, Superintendent Pekel vowed that “there will be no backing down” on their schools’ commitment to LGBTQ students and families, following repeated outbursts from one parent angry about the district’s decision.
“There will be no slippery slope in bringing back books that celebrate the lived experiences of LGBTQ students and families,” he promised.
He also clarified that the nudity itself was the reason for his decision, and not other content in the book that might be objectionable to some, such as two men dressed in slave gear or the protest sign “Silence is equal to death”.
When reached for comment, Rochester Public Schools responded Fox News Digital with Pekel’s previous letter to the board.
The district’s decision comes at a time when parents are challenging books with explicit content in school libraries.
The issue of sexually explicit LGBTQ books in public schools has brought parents from both sides to school board meetings to voice 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, ten most disputed books all of them were contested due to explicit sexual content.
During National Library Week last year, the ALA claimed that “censorship” of sexually explicit books in children’s libraries is discriminatory towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
