Book bans are one of the many recent—and growing—lines of attack coming from conservatives, just in time for midterm elections in November. Republicans, as we’ve covered here at Daily Kos, love to make a fuss about critical race theory (CRT) as well as any representation of LGBTQ+ writers or characters. School boards have become a battleground for book bans, largely thanks to far-right groups like Moms for Liberty working hard to mobilize folks around the country to raise hysteria about … young people reading books.
In tandem with book bans, it’s important to discuss the proliferation of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills (some of which have already turned into laws) and the quick strides Republicans are making to try and crush any mentions or references to queer history, people, or identities in public spaces, whether that’s the library, classroom, or holding a drag show in a public park. It is clear Republicans are trying to silence and ostracize queer people.
So, what can public school teachers do? Well, they should be doing everything they can to create inclusive and safe environments for all students. But according to Pink News, substitute teacher Lindsey Barr was fired from her school district back in August after she opposed the 2019 picture book All Are Welcome, which includes pictures of same-sex parents. She’s given an interview to the conservative outlet the National Review where she says she talked to the school principal about her issues with the book and has since been fired.
RELATED: Republicans want folks to have to show ID in order to attend drag shows
For background, McAllister Elementary School in the Savannah, Georgia, area originally included All Are Welcome in a storytime program at the school. This would involve an adult reading the book aloud to students.
Barr, whose children attended the school, told the National Review in an interview that she believes images in the book don’t align with her beliefs as a non-denominational Christian. She also told the outlet she believes marriage should be between men and women only.
Barr, who herself had taught kindergarten for four years, worked in education for about 10 years, according to the Review, and told the outlet she wanted her children to be excused from the reading program that included the book in question. She told the outlet she didn’t want her three sons to attend any lessons that included homosexuality, period.
At one point, the Review reports that Barr (after being told she could indeed have her children excused from the reading event for All Are Welcome) expressed concerns to the school principal about a poster hanging in the classroom of one of her children, which allegedly included a drawing of two men and the message: “All adults have the right to marriage and to raise a family.”
“This is an agenda,” she wrote to the principal in part at the time, per the Review. “This is not ok. If I couldn’t post bible verses in my newsletters or read scripture to my classes or cover my students aloud in prayer, this shouldn’t be allowed either.”
And now? Barr is reportedly working as a substitute teacher at a private school in the area … and she’s working with the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom (yup) to sue the school district, alleging they violated her First Amendment rights.
Per the review, the lawsuit alleges that the principal fired Barr during a meeting in late August, in which she was allegedly told that expressing her religious views “revealed biases that raised a question [about] whether she could support every child.”
It’s almost, almost, almost like LGBTQ+ people deserve basic human rights and dignity, even if it makes some religious people uncomfortable. Wild, huh?
Since Dobbs, women have registered to vote in unprecedented numbers across the country, and the first person to dig into these stunning trends was TargetSmart CEO Tom Bonier, who's our guest on this episode of The Downballot. Bonier explains how his firm gathers data on the electorate; why this surge is likely a leading indicator showing stepped-up enthusiasm among many groups of voters, including women, young people, and people of color; how we know these new registrants disproportionately lean toward Democrats; and what it all might mean for November.
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In tandem with book bans, it’s important to discuss the proliferation of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills (some of which have already turned into laws) and the quick strides Republicans are making to try and crush any mentions or references to queer history, people, or identities in public spaces, whether that’s the library, classroom, or holding a drag show in a public park. It is clear Republicans are trying to silence and ostracize queer people.
So, what can public school teachers do? Well, they should be doing everything they can to create inclusive and safe environments for all students. But according to Pink News, substitute teacher Lindsey Barr was fired from her school district back in August after she opposed the 2019 picture book All Are Welcome, which includes pictures of same-sex parents. She’s given an interview to the conservative outlet the National Review where she says she talked to the school principal about her issues with the book and has since been fired.
RELATED: Republicans want folks to have to show ID in order to attend drag shows
For background, McAllister Elementary School in the Savannah, Georgia, area originally included All Are Welcome in a storytime program at the school. This would involve an adult reading the book aloud to students.
Barr, whose children attended the school, told the National Review in an interview that she believes images in the book don’t align with her beliefs as a non-denominational Christian. She also told the outlet she believes marriage should be between men and women only.
Barr, who herself had taught kindergarten for four years, worked in education for about 10 years, according to the Review, and told the outlet she wanted her children to be excused from the reading program that included the book in question. She told the outlet she didn’t want her three sons to attend any lessons that included homosexuality, period.
At one point, the Review reports that Barr (after being told she could indeed have her children excused from the reading event for All Are Welcome) expressed concerns to the school principal about a poster hanging in the classroom of one of her children, which allegedly included a drawing of two men and the message: “All adults have the right to marriage and to raise a family.”
“This is an agenda,” she wrote to the principal in part at the time, per the Review. “This is not ok. If I couldn’t post bible verses in my newsletters or read scripture to my classes or cover my students aloud in prayer, this shouldn’t be allowed either.”
And now? Barr is reportedly working as a substitute teacher at a private school in the area … and she’s working with the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom (yup) to sue the school district, alleging they violated her First Amendment rights.
Per the review, the lawsuit alleges that the principal fired Barr during a meeting in late August, in which she was allegedly told that expressing her religious views “revealed biases that raised a question [about] whether she could support every child.”
It’s almost, almost, almost like LGBTQ+ people deserve basic human rights and dignity, even if it makes some religious people uncomfortable. Wild, huh?
Since Dobbs, women have registered to vote in unprecedented numbers across the country, and the first person to dig into these stunning trends was TargetSmart CEO Tom Bonier, who's our guest on this episode of The Downballot. Bonier explains how his firm gathers data on the electorate; why this surge is likely a leading indicator showing stepped-up enthusiasm among many groups of voters, including women, young people, and people of color; how we know these new registrants disproportionately lean toward Democrats; and what it all might mean for November.
Embedded Content