(WASHINGTON)— With a potential ruling this week by the Supreme Court in the Mahmoud v. Taylor case on LGBTQ+ picture books in public schools, PEN America will have staff lawyers and experts on the freedom to read available to discuss the case with journalists.
PEN will also issue a prepared response to the ruling by the nine authors at the center of the case, with whom it has engaged Authors Respond to Oral Arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor
In addition, the writers and free expression group will issue its own statement responding to a ruling.
Please reach out if you would like to interview either a PEN expert or one of the authors.
In April, PEN America filed an amicus brief in Mahmoud v. Taylor, arguing the case was as much about free speech as religious freedom. The brief, drafted by the Davis Wright Tremaine law firm, argued that the court should view the parents’ lawsuit in the context of the broader movement to advance extreme conservative viewpoints dictating what is appropriate and allowable in schools.
Mahmoud v. Taylor was brought by a group of elementary school parents in Montgomery County, MD who objected to nine books with LGBTQ+ characters and themes. The books included stories about a girl whose uncle marries his boyfriend, a child bullied because of his pink shoes, and a puppy that gets lost at a Pride parade. The parents, citing religious objections, sued the school district to gain the right to opt their children out of classroom lessons using the books. Though the district had originally offered this option, it reversed course when the policy proved administratively burdensome and proved unworkable.
Below are opinion articles by three of the nine authors whose children’s picture books were challenged in the case:
Our Books Help Teach LGBTQ Themes in Schools
Supreme Court Case on LGBTQ+ Storybooks Raises Questions for All Parents
My Book Is Now at the Center of a Supreme Court Case
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057