Oklahoma bill would let parents demand the removal of books from school libraries
An Oklahoma bill would allow parents to demand that certain books be removed from school libraries — including books that contain content about sexual preferences or sexual and gender identity, the McAlester News-Capital reported.
If SB 1142 were to be passed, public school districts, public charter schools and public school libraries in Oklahoma would be prohibited from having or promoting books that address “the study of sex, sexual preferences, sexual activity, sexual perversion, sex-based classifications, sexual identity or gender identity,” KFOR reported.
If parents were to request that the book be removed from a school library, librarians would either have to comply or risk losing their jobs and being barred from working in a public school for two years, KFOR reported.
The proposed bill would also allow a parent or legal guardian whose request for a book to be removed is denied to “seek monetary damages including a minimum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per day the book requested for removal is not removed, reasonable attorney fees, and court costs.”
State Sen. Rob Standridge, a Republican from Norman who introduced the bill, said he believes the books he has concerns about are “overly sexualized,” the News-Capital reported.
A news release from his office added that the bill was intended to combat the “indoctrination in Oklahoma schools” regarding issues of gender, race or sexuality.
But critics say that the bill is simply a measure to target LGBTQ+ content available to children. Some titles Standridge expressed concerns about include “Trans Teen Survival Guide,” “Quick and Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities,” “A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns,” and “The Art of Drag,” the News-Capital reported.
Laura Lang, CEO of the nonprofit Thrive OKC, told News on 6 that withholding that kind of information from children can cause harm in the long run.
“Studies have shown that having safe, affirming adults and peers in their life can actually reduce suicide rates among 2SLGBTQ+ students,” Lang told the outlet.
Standridge simultaneously introduced another bill, SB 1141, that would prohibit colleges and universities in Oklahoma from requiring students to enroll in courses about gender identity, sex education, or racial equality, Newsweek reported.
Universities would also be prohibited from including concepts related to those topics in courses that are required for students’ degree programs, KFOR reported.
If passed, the bills would go into effect for the 2022-2023 school year. Oklahoma’s next legislative session — the 2nd session of the 58th Legislature — is scheduled to begin on Feb. 7.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 7:12 PM with the headline "Oklahoma bill would let parents demand the removal of books from school libraries."