LGBTQ+ Books Given Warning Labels in Florida School District
More than 100 books featuring themes related to LGBTQ+ issues or race now have warning labels in a southwest Florida school district.Both physical and online copies of books in Collier County Public Schools now have warnings, NBC News reports.A label purportedly on a book in the school system was shared on Twitter by PEN America, a nonprofit that focuses on the right to freedom of expression."This Advisory Notice shall serve to inform you that this book has been identified by some community members as unsuitable for students," the label states. "This book will also be identified in the Destiny system with the same notation.
The decision as to whether this book is suitable or unsuitable shall be the decision of the parent(s) who has the right to oversee his/her child's education consistent with state law." Some of the books now carrying a warning label include I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings and Jessica Herthel, Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, and Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, according to PEN America.
In a breakdown of the books, the group found that 46 had LGBTQ+ characters or themes, 16 with trans themes, and 34 with main or secondary characters that were from communities of color.
Stephana Ferrell, the co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which fights censorship in Florida schools, told NBC News that a school district media specialist shared photos of the labels with her in June.Ferrell told the outlet that she received a call from Elizabeth Alves, associate superintendent of teaching and learning for Collier County Public Schools, following her submission of public records requests that focused on the labels, the books being challenged, and the committee that reviews educational.
