(NEW YORK)—PEN America, the free expression and writers’ group, issued the following comment today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s agreement to hear a case about whether a Maryland school district must provide parents who object to LGBTQ+ books on religious grounds the option to take their children out of lessons involving them.

The case stems from the district’s adoption of the books in an effort to have more LGBTQ-inclusive materials in classrooms in the 2022-23 school year, and the subsequent decision in March 2023 to reject parents’ requests for an opt-out option to remove their children from such lessons. According to the school board in its legal filings, “the books are made available for individual reading, classroom read-alouds, and other educational activities designed to foster and enhance literacy skills.”

Jonathan Friedman, Sy Syms managing director, U.S. Free Expression programs said: “At the heart of this case are objections by some parents to allowing their kids access to books about LGBTQ+ identities in schools at all. Such books about diverse families have only recently made it onto the shelves of many classrooms. These books tell authentic stories that reflect real families, in Montgomery County, MD and beyond, and students deserve to have access to them. We must resist policies that risk erasing the representation of diverse families, which would put in jeopardy all students’ freedom to read and learn. We stand with the writers and illustrators who have used their creativity to celebrate LGBTQ+ families and craft picture books to help young readers understand the myriad of identities in their world. In the same vein, we support educators and families in Montgomery County who want more diverse literature available for children.”

Since 2021, PEN America has documented nearly 16,000 book bans in public schools nationwide. This censorship predominantly targets books about race and racism by authors of color and books on LGBTQ+ topics as well as  those for older readers that have sexual references or discuss sexual violence. Read more about PEN America’s documentation of and advocacy against book bans.

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