President Joe Biden has issued a scathing rebuke of elected Republican officials over their efforts to ban books from schools and libraries across America. Speaking at the Council of Chief State School Officers’ Teachers of the Year event, Biden criticized these officials for seeking to dictate what children can learn, think, and be.
While these officials often use the language of “parental rights” to justify their actions, Biden argued that these policies represented a clear case of government overreach. According to PEN America, the current school year has seen 1,477 attempts to ban 874 individual book titles, disproportionately targeting materials that include LGBTQ characters or themes or those that address issues of racial justice.
Biden specifically called out Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and his conservative allies in the state legislature, who recently expanded the “Don’t Say Gay” law, officially known as the Parental Rights in Education Act. The law, which will now cover all grade levels in Florida’s public schools, has been criticized for its broad language and potential to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals.
Critics argue that the law is designed to create a chilling effect and discourage teachers and staff from offering support to LGBTQ students or from serving openly if they themselves are LGBTQ. The American Bar Association has also argued that the law potentially violates the First Amendment’s prohibition on viewpoint discrimination.
In his remarks, Biden emphasized the importance of ensuring that students have access to a diverse range of perspectives and ideas, and that books are a crucial tool in achieving this goal. He also reiterated his commitment to defending the rights of LGBTQ individuals and promoting inclusion and acceptance in schools and society more broadly.
The battle over book bans in schools is likely to continue to be a contentious issue in the months and years ahead, with activists on both sides digging in their heels. However, with the president now weighing in on the issue, the debate is sure to take on a new level of significance and intensity.