Pennsylvania Legislation Would Give Parents Say Over Sexual Content in Schools

Pennsylvania state Sen. Scott Martin, a Republican, discussed a measure to limit exposure of sexually explicit content in Pennsylvania schools during a meeting of the Senate Education Committee at the state capital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in June 2022. Courtesy Pennsylvania Senate GOP

In response to parental outrage over sexually explicit school library books and class curriculum, two measures that were approved by the Pennsylvania Senate this week seek to provide parents with transparency and control over access to these materials.

Books such as “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe; “It’s Perfectly Normal” by Robie H. Harris; and “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by Alison Bechdel have been found in elementary school through high school libraries in Pennsylvania and across the nation. Some have been required reading in certain classes. In words and explicit illustrations, the books depict oral sex, recreational drug use without consequence, LGBT themes, political activism, and anti-Christian themes.