The Queer Children’s Books Targeted by Conservative Lawmakers
The Political Scene | The New Yorker
The New Yorker
4.3 • 3.9K Ratings
🗓️ 28 December 2022
⏱️ 35 minutes
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Summary
In 2022, three hundred and forty pieces of legislation in twenty-three states targeted L.G.B.T.Q. rights. The most high-profile was Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill—officially the Parental Rights in Education Act—introduced by Governor Ron DeSantis. The law limits the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in grade-school classrooms, including through the removal of books and other educational materials. DeSantis, of course, won a landslide reëlection contest in November, with parental rights a central part of his platform. In July, when the “Don’t Say Gay” law was newly implemented, Jessica Winter joined Tyler Foggatt to discuss the history of queer children’s literature, why the right finds it so dangerous, and how its banning will affect the lives and education of young people.
This episode was originally released on July 14, 2022.
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| 0:47.6 | You're listening to The Political Scene, the show about current events and the political forces driving them. |
| 0:52.9 | I'm Tyler Foggett, a senior editor at the New Yorker. |
| 0:56.0 | In 2022, 340 pieces of legislation in 23 states targeted LGBTQ rights. Most high profile of these |
| 1:03.8 | was Florida's don't say gay bill, officially the Parental Rights and Education Act, introduced by |
| 1:08.6 | Ron DeSantis. The bill he championed limits the discussion |
| 1:11.7 | of sexual orientation or gender identity in grade school classrooms, in some cases banning it |
| 1:16.6 | completely. It also threatens the ability of teachers to share materials, including books, |
| 1:21.6 | that depict or discuss queer lives. Desantis, of course, won a landslide re-election campaign in |
| 1:26.6 | November, with parental rights as a central part of his platform. |
| 1:30.1 | My colleague Jessica Winter writes about the politics of child rearing. |
| 1:33.3 | We spoke over the summer when the Don't Say Gay Bill was newly implemented about the effect it would have on the lives and education of young people. |
| 1:40.3 | Hi, Jessica. Thanks so much for joining me today. |
| 1:43.0 | Hi, Tyler. Thanks for having me. So I thought that we could start by talking about, you know, where all of this legislation is coming from. I mean, was there a big curriculum change that, you know, resulted in more LGBTQ picture books being taught in classrooms? Or is it more a situation where this is something that was already happening, |
| 2:04.1 | but parents are suddenly becoming aware of it? |
... |
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