In the latest salvo in Texas Republicans’ fight against what they portray as indoctrination and obscenity in schools, several Republican state representatives are asking Texas school district officials to pledge not to buy books from vendors that have supplied schools with what the lawmakers deem pornography.
State Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, sent a letter on Wednesday to school districts asking school officials to sign the pledge. In his letter, Patterson said children across Texas have been exposed to material such as “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” a graphic novel that has become a lightning rod both nationwide and in Texas among some parents and Republican officials.
The book, by Maia Kobabe, depicts the author’s experiences growing up and struggling to identify as gay, bisexual or asexual. It contains a few pages of explicit illustrations depicting oral sex, which have outraged some parents and state leaders.
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