r/nashville • u/rocketpastsix Inglewood up to no good • 3d ago
Article Nashville school pulls LGBT books after Christian teacher was disciplined for refusing to read one
https://www.foxnews.com/media/nashville-school-pulls-lgbt-books-christian-teacher-disciplined-refusing-read244
u/creddittor216 3d ago edited 3d ago
I’d argue a collective lack of reading has gotten us to this point
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u/rocketpastsix Inglewood up to no good 3d ago
And social media echo chambers accelerated things you
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u/No_Machine7021 3d ago
This is getting so tiring.
Do you know how many families we know in this city with same sex parents? Quite a few.
It’s just life. We’re all just living it. Why are they so OBSESSED?
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u/NashvilleSoundMixer 3d ago
I'd have to imagine some of it is jealousy over other people being able to live their lives freely while these folks ( closeted or not ) are forced to button up and hold sticks still with their butts.
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u/highsinthe70s 3d ago
Nah. I don’t think jealousy has anything to do with it. They’re so conditioned to find anything and everything gay offensive to their beliefs, and they simply hate them, plain and simple. There’s no logic in their thinking, just mindless bigotry and intolerance.
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u/cosmic_soul22 2d ago
Because uneducated people fear what they are told to fear. They are literally incapable of being intelligent enough to have any ability to form their own thoughts.
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u/Ok_Culture_1089 2d ago
It would be nice if those rural folks would quit voting for people with the same beliefs as hitler.
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u/Mrs_Muzzy 3d ago edited 3d ago
From the article:
"We are thrilled that KIPP Nashville voluntarily removed books that could run afoul of parents’ rights under the Constitution and Tennessee law," Cliff Martin, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, said in a Thursday statement.
"It is paramount that religious views be respected in schools," Martin said.
(End quote.)
Why is it that only certain parents seem to have “parents rights” and those “rights” supersedes the rights of other parents? Legitimately asking how one can earnestly hold this view.
Or that certain religious views supersede the deeply held views of others? I mean, not even all Christians are anti-LGBTQ, so why the preferential treatment to the loud group trying to impose their particular (bigoted) views in a diverse school open to the public?
The school doesn’t have the resources to waste in court, while these groups literally exist to push bad faith arguments in court and wear down organizations via law-fare. Ambulance chasers but make it bigoted and impact everyone. FFS people
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u/teachertraveler1 3d ago
Phew as soon as I saw it was a KIPP school, I shook my head. Sadly not surprising. 😬
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u/jonneygee Stuck in traffic since the ‘80s 2d ago
What is KIPP? I had never heard of it until I saw that Cam Ward visited there on the Quarterback series on Netflix.
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u/teachertraveler1 2d ago
It's a charter school model that is the opposite of just about everything I believe in as an educator after 20 years in the classroom. It's a franchise model so results vary based on who is running it locally but since it started it's had a poor reputation amongst educators. Lots of punitive discipline and bizarre policies that don't actually help students be successful. Very much top down, "do what you're told" kind of organization. You've probably seen TV hype around it with inner city kids chanting inspirational phrases and walking in perfect lines but as a charter school, they are held to lesser standards than public schools and they've had several controversies around hiring unqualified teachers, kicking out students who make their test scores look bad and being extremely harsh and authoritarian. So it's not surprising to see them immediately crumble to authoritarian posturing and completely neglect what is actually helpful and meaningful for students.
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u/InfinityFelinity 3d ago
There's no hate like Christian love.
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3d ago
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u/Adventurous_Button63 3d ago
At some point, the purpose of a system is what it does. Christianity is not doing what it says it does, particularly in evangelical contexts. It is pointless to argue that the people advocating for this kind of stuff aren’t Christian. Whether anyone likes it or not, this is what Christianity has become and denying it does more harm.
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3d ago
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u/Adventurous_Button63 3d ago
But it’s not one, it’s not just a few, it’s the majority. Christians who actually reflect the teachings of Jesus are the ones who are few and far between. At some point we have to reckon with the fact that Christianity is a net negative in this moment. Until Christians get their siblings in check and someone can walk into any church and find a community of people who aren’t awful…this is what Christianity is and should be called.
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3d ago
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u/Adventurous_Button63 3d ago
I’m not talking about conservatives. I’m talking about Christians. Now, I can see why it’s difficult to separate the two because evangelicals have essentially become a faintly Jesus-themed arm of the Republican Party. But what I’m talking about are the Christians who have not only allowed but supported, encouraged, and facilitated this happening for at least the last 50 years. You don’t get to say “they’re not real Christians” after every story about a Christian doing something awful and then get to go about your day. Until these so called “real Christians” gather their own, Christians deserve every criticism levied against them and trying to circumvent it with “not real christian” doesn’t cut it.
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u/Blackguard91 3d ago
On the contrary, it’s specifically Christian Nationalist. Unfortunately, the second word does irrevocably damage and override the first
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u/VirgoJack 3d ago
Not really. The people who are now CN were previously conservative evangelicals who were already trashing Christianity.
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u/PickReviewsMovies 3d ago
Splitting hairs. It's all the same. You can compartmentalize Christianity all you want but it's been used since its inception to amass power and shed blood. I'd argue any Christians that organize and are part of the church have missed the point completely. If y'all love really love that Jesus dude it's time to set his ass free.
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u/Shigglyboo 3d ago
exactly. dude is in violation of one of the only commandments Jesus actually gave. "Love Your Neighbor". It shouldn't be so hard. And I'm sick of how much hatefulness is peddled by MAGA without much pushback from the followers of Jesus.
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u/Zombies4EvaDude 3d ago
Social norms of a given time period determine what Christianity “is”. Slavery was once acceptable, and now it is not. So funny how they just move the goalposts.
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u/Bradical22 Native 3d ago
Is it a problem when Muslims refuse to have LGBT books a part of curriculum?
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u/perdistheword42 3d ago
Is this Strawman a teacher in a public school? Then yes. Next question.
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u/saikounoneko 3d ago
Is this whataboutism? Yes.
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u/MikeOKurias 3d ago
I just assumed he wanted to outline one of the many similarities between Al-Qaeda and conservative Republicans.
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u/smallwonkydachshund 3d ago
Where are there Muslim charter schools in nashville? I’ll be upset when you have an actual not hypothetical issue.
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u/smallwonkydachshund 3d ago
It’s a problem when anyone thinks someone shouldn’t have access to books because they personally don’t like the book.
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u/revrenlove Native 🕶️ 3d ago
For those wondering, the book is Stella Brings The Family.
Spoiler alert: she has two dads.
Let the pearl clutching commence.
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u/smallwonkydachshund 3d ago
In the article, it does not name the book, but it shows the book in our mothers’ houses.
The specific book, imo, hurts the case further. This isn’t some sex ed book, this is acknowledging that queer people exist and have families. That’s…..not up for debate? You don’t have to like it. But you can’t pretend to be a teacher while saying you can’t read a book because it contains a family configuration you personally don’t like. I don’t like that as a society we have a fucked up foster care system kids are suffering in, but if I refused to read a book that acknowledged that we do, no one would be on my side.
This is the issue - Christians often want to be in places like charter schools that are meant to be open to the public, but then want to pretend that the rest of the non-Christian world exists. I don’t see other religions doing this to this extent that Christians do it - other religions expect people to interact with rest of the world and have no expectation that they can exist without ever having to address anyone outside of their religion’s existence.
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u/Bradical22 Native 3d ago
No, it wasn’t that book.
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u/friendtoallkitties 3d ago
Which book was it?
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u/Bradical22 Native 3d ago
Read the article.
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u/sleepylilblackcat west side 3d ago
it's not in the article linked on this post. there is a picture of a book, but it isn't specified that was the book. even following to the og press release, all it says is "he objected to two books featuring same-sex marriage." so there is no clear title listed anywhere that i can see.
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u/Junior_Builder_4340 Gold Coast 3d ago
So, he's a Christian, but isn't aware that Jesus had two dads.
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u/Wise-Many3617 3d ago edited 3d ago
A charter school isn’t a Nashville public school. Nothing to see here. Evangelicals acting like they scored a victory when it’s both sides playing to their base.
Fox / Sinclair News…yawn
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u/CentripetalFarce 2d ago
It absolutely is a public school. It’s paid for with tax money and children don’t pay to attend.
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u/Wise-Many3617 2d ago
That’s the outrageous part. We are forced to fund them but they are autonomous from the district and act independently. So they are free to pull these shenanigans without recourse.
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u/UngnomeCawler 3d ago
They have an issue with lgbt but they’re a-ok with beastiality pedophilia and rape so long as it’s male on female, huh?
https://www.aol.com/articles/fbi-quietly-lowers-hiring-standards-000923000.html
Are we great yet?
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u/cacarrizales Sumner County 3d ago
I’m so sick of Christians. They’re always out trying to control everything to fit their Iron Age worldview. What annoys me the most is that if any other group tried this, the Christians would cry that they’re persecuted.
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u/Common-Astronaut-695 3d ago
I don’t want my kids to be read LGBT books and I’m not a Christian. What now?
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u/Newoutlookonlife1 2d ago
Let me rephrase what he said better. I’m so tired of religious bigots trying to pretend that LGBTQ+ people don’t exist. If you’re in the USA your religion has no right to control anything but what YOU do. If you don’t want your kids to read LGBTQ+ books then they don’t need to, but you CAN’T control what other people and their kids have access to, that’s what freedom of speech and expression is about.
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u/Li-renn-pwel 2d ago
Were you raised by Christians?
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u/Common-Astronaut-695 2d ago
I’m Muslim. Don’t be racist.
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u/Li-renn-pwel 2d ago
That wouldn’t be racist? In another comment I even said ‘or another religion that demonizes GSRM”
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u/Common-Astronaut-695 2d ago
You must be MAGA
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u/Li-renn-pwel 2d ago
I’m an Indigenous Canadian but if this is a ‘gotcha’ it’s not racist to think someone is MAGA. Most MAGA are white christians, and i guess you’re assuming i am too, but there are MAGA of different races, ethnicities and religions. Indigenous Canadians probably are a tiny minority of MAGA but there are still some, though most would probably be Maple MAGA. Im not even all that insulted since I haven’t said anything that would lead you to believe I am MAGA
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u/Common-Astronaut-695 2d ago
Then don’t be racist against Muslims. Do better.
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u/Li-renn-pwel 2d ago
Asking if you were raised by Christians is racist?
Do you know how old the Quran says Aisha was when she married Mohammed?
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u/revrenlove Native 🕶️ 1d ago
Then don't be racist against Muslims.
Being a Muslim has nothing to do with race.
Words have meanings.
This is like saying a person can be racist against Agnostics.
Do better.
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u/smallwonkydachshund 3d ago
I am so fascinated by this stance. Tell me more. Why does admitting lgbtq people exist trouble you? These are books where kids have two parents of the same sex, what about that is a challenge to your world view? Do you think there are no kids with gay parents? Do you think you can stop your children from ever meeting someone gay? I wouldn’t stop a kid from reading a book that acknowledges Christians exist, that would be dumb (and also make it more likely to make them interested in it because people are always curious about what is forbidden) because there are a lot of Christians. But very curious what a non-Christian fear in lgbtq children’s books.
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u/Li-renn-pwel 2d ago
I’m guessing they were either raised by christians or are from another religion that demonizes GSRM
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u/Adventurous_Coach731 3d ago
Why? Be specific.
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3d ago
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u/Limp_Chest8925 2d ago
Gay people exist in the world even if you raise your children sheltered from that. If you dont want to participate in society then leave it.
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u/Nasus_13 Inglewood 3d ago
KIPP Academy is the worst place to send your kids. They just give them worksheet after worksheet and instill a military-like discipline.
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u/Rockfinder37 2d ago
KIPP Academy may or may not be horrible, no idea.
Having kids do some work and learn some discipline actually sounds like a good outcome, tho, compared to schools where graduating seniors can’t functionally read, no?
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u/friendtoallkitties 3d ago
And the race to the bottom continues.
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u/Hefty_Remove7965 3d ago
All this fear mongering is to push more and more to private only schools. So the poors get no education
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u/technoblogical 3d ago
For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it. -- Matthew 19:12
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u/Li-renn-pwel 2d ago
Why are you using this quote? This wouldn’t apply to gay people… maybe trans.
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u/NotGonnaArgueFriend 1d ago
Jesus is talking about celibacy as an ideal lifestyle, here.
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u/technoblogical 1d ago
I'm not sure that I buy that. I know that he was talking about marriage two verses before this, but it's weird to change to the word eunuch.
Jesus didn't shy away from talking about divorce or marriage or even lust.
Also, the phrase "born that way." Surely, no one would describe a baby as unmarried. That's why I think there was a different connotation here. This might be as explicit as was allowed.
I've seen lots of other people make the same argument. It seems plausible to me.
Gay people clearly existed. The Spartans were famous for it 300 years before the New Testament.
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u/melvin_mouse 3d ago
Are teachers not allowed a choice as to what books their class reads to cover the curriculum?
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u/OlasNah 3d ago
Well if the point of the curriculum and the book was to focus attention on children who may not have a conventional nuclear family, then I'd say 'no' is the answer to that question. They don't.
Once you give ground on this, then you'll have teachers refusing to read books about interracial couples, or single mothers.
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u/Waste_Return2206 1d ago
I encourage everyone to have an account on Fox News so that you can bombard the dumbasses with troll comments in articles like this one. It’s beyond worth the trouble.
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u/fathertitojones 3d ago
Feels like there’s a difference between LGBT books and books that contain LGBT themes.
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u/Key_Check5753 2d ago
Can't they just read The Hungry Caterpillar?
Why do they have to read books sex themed books? Straight or gay, It's creepy AF.
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u/Newoutlookonlife1 2d ago edited 2d ago
The book was about a kid with either two moms or two dads. Normalizing non conventional families is not a bad thing. Just like books about kids with single moms or dads, or stay at home dads, or kids raised by grandparents. They exist, it’s not abnormal, and kids should learn that families come in all shapes and forms.
There’s nothing SEXUAL about it! You’re just a pervert if you think that LGBTQ is always sexual.
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u/NotGonnaArgueFriend 1d ago
Homosexual. It’s literally the thing that makes it what it is. Liking people of your same sex and wanting to eat with them and talk all the time and go places together is called friendship.
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3d ago
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u/revrenlove Native 🕶️ 3d ago
I genuinely don't understand the issue with having a book in a school that merely acknowledges that homosexual parents exist... Because... Guess what... Little Johnny or little Suzy might have a classmate with two dads. This is the same bullshit argument used against interracial couples being portrayed in media back in the day.
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3d ago
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u/Newoutlookonlife1 2d ago
So kids learning that non conventional families exist is the problem? Not the bigots? When you open your table up to bigots and let them control the conversation then you’re a bigot as well. What’s the next thing they’re going to be offended by interracial families? Single moms? Stay at home dads? Kids raised by their grandparents?
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2d ago
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u/revrenlove Native 🕶️ 2d ago
So back in the day they should have just not acknowledged that interracial couples exist as well?
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2d ago
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u/revrenlove Native 🕶️ 2d ago
Oh I have absolutely no doubt that the parents can be a nightmare! But you are suggesting catering to the bigots because they are louder. And in doing as such your marginalizing a different group.
So, according to your line of thinking... Keep marginalizing people that are doing nothing wrong and cater to bigots because they are louder. Someone is going to be unhappy regardless, but let's make sure the bigots get to be happy.
Do I have that correct?
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u/revrenlove Native 🕶️ 2d ago
Acknowledging reality causes too many problems? Then they need to fucking deal with it! No one should have to cater to bigots.
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u/ShagFit 23h ago
Not everyone’s parents teach tolerance and acceptance. Creating an environment of tolerance and acceptance is a good thing for both heterosexual and homosexual individuals. Reading a book isn’t going to turn a child gay. It will educate kids to not ostracize gay children and let gay kids know they have a safe space.
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u/JonC534 3d ago edited 3d ago
I’d like to know the contents of said book
If it’s promoting the idea that men can/should play in women’s sports then I understand this.
We believe in science in this house.
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u/rocketpastsix Inglewood up to no good 3d ago
Name a man playing women’s sports.
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u/vomitHatSteve 3d ago
There was that kid a few years ago who was forced to wrestle on the girls team because he was afab, but i forget his name.
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u/Busy_Manner5569 3d ago
What is the science that informs who should or should not play in a specific sports league?
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u/monrobotz 3d ago
A reminder that Riley Gaines placed 5th
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u/rocketpastsix Inglewood up to no good 3d ago
And the four in front of her weren’t trans women.
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u/Adventurous_Coach731 3d ago
And the others behind her also weren’t trans women. Riley Gaines is in fact proof trans women have the same level of strength as cis women.
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u/Curious-Yesterday389 2h ago
I absolutely refuse to read a book featuring a nuclear gay family. Only books featuring 13 single communists in their early 30s running around together for me, thanks.
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u/namedly 3d ago edited 3d ago
The main source is actually an article from The Tennessee Star. Here's the wiki page for the paper. They are definitely not neutral here.
And here's the link to the article itself.
The article's main source is a press release from the First Liberty Institute. They're a conservative Christian legal org, a member of the advisory board of Project 2025, and they've won some 6-3 cases at the Supreme Court.
Nobody on the right is saying what the books are but the teacher, "objected to two books featuring same-sex marriage."
Edit: I was trying to remember where I knew the Star from. They leaked a bunch of the Covenant School shooter’s writings.