The authors and illustrators of a set of controversial pro-LGBT children’s books fired back after the Supreme Court ruled that parents could opt their children out of the Maryland public school system’s lessons that included the books in their curriculum, calling the decision “harmful.”
For background, on June 27, 2025, press accounts confirmed that the Supreme Court had sided with a group of Maryland parents in a 6-3 decision that ruled that parents can exclude their children from pro-LGBT curriculum that included books by several authors. On the same day, the authors of the books mentioned in the case issued a statement calling the decision both “discriminatory” and “harmful.”
In their statement, the authors began by asserting that the Supreme Court’s ruling “threatens students’ access to diverse books and undermines teachers’ efforts to create safe, inclusive classrooms.” The statement continued, “To treat children’s books about LGBTQ+ characters differently than similar books about non-LGBTQ+ characters is discriminatory and harmful.”
Furthermore, the authors said that the Supreme Court’s decision “will inevitably lead to an increasingly hostile climate for LGBTQ+ students and families, and create a less welcoming environment for all students.” Moreover, the authors asserted, “We created our books for all children.”
The authors went on to argue that children “need to see themselves and families like theirs in the books they read,” adding, “This is especially true for LGBTQ+ children and LGBTQ+ families.” The authors later wrote that they are supporting the families and educators “in spirit” who are “committed to creating inclusive classrooms that meet the needs of the diverse groups of students in their school districts.”
On the other hand, Education Department Secretary Linda McMahon said that the ruling was a victory for “parental rights” and a loss for “bureaucrats” in a statement to Fox News. She added, “Parents have the right to know what their children are learning at school and to exercise their First Amendment freedom of religion to opt out of divisive and ideological lessons that go against their families’ values and beliefs.”
In addition, Eric Baxter, the vice president and senior counsel at Bcket, the legal group that represented the Maryland parents in the Lawsuit, celebrated the victory, calling it “historic…for parental rights in Maryland and across America.” He added, “Kids shouldn’t be forced into conversations about drag queens, pride parades, or gender transitions without their parents’ permission.”
Writing on behalf of the majority in the Supreme Court’s decision, Justice Samuel Alito said, “A government burdens the religious exercise of parents when it requires them to submit their children to instruction that poses ‘a very real threat of undermining’ the religious beliefs and practices that the parents wish to instill.” He added, “And a government cannot condition the benefit of free public education on parents’ acceptance of such instruction.”
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