Maryland parents ‘optimistic’ as Supreme Court weighs whether they can opt their children out of LGBT storybooks in school

“Queer farmers,” “drag queen,” and “pride puppy” are just a few of the controversial LGBT themes in children’s books at the center of a case before the Supreme Court.

The case stems from a group of religious parents – including Christians, Jews and Muslims – who are suing Maryland’s largest school district for requiring the controversial books.

The Supreme Court appeared likely to side with the parents as it heard oral arguments on Tuesday. A ruling in the case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, is expected by June. A decision in favor of the parents “could prove one of the most important victories for parents’ rights in decades,” legal analyst Jonathan Turley said.

In 2022, Montgomery County’s Board of Education decided to add “inclusivity” books in elementary school curriculum, according to Becket law firm, which is representing the parents in court. The school district is located in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Although the board originally promised to notify parents of the books and allow families to opt their children out, it reversed course in March 2023, taking away parental notice and forcing students as young as 3 to view LGBT-themed storybooks in class. 

By not allowing parents to protect their children from sexually themed content, Montgomery County is “out of step” with the rest of the nation and violating state law, Becket attorney William Haun said in a video message posted on X by the firm.

“These books promote pride parades, gender transitioning, and pronoun preferences for kids,” he said. “Allowing parents to opt-out of school instruction is the norm in our education system. 47 states including Maryland require notice and opt-outs for curriculum involving human sexuality, and zero states ban opt-outs.”

Becket senior counsel Eric Baxter said on Tuesday the firm is “super happy” with how arguments unfolded and “optimistic that the court will be sympathetic.”  

“In this country, we’ve always trusted families to decide when their kids are ready for sensitive topics,” he said in a statement. “Children shouldn’t be forced into conversations about drag queens, pride parades, and gender transitions without their parents’ permission. Today, we fought for common sense and parents’ right to guide the upbringing of their children.”  

The contested children’s books include one titled What Are Your Words? – described on the cover as “a book about pronouns.” The cover art includes a series of so-called “gender-neutral” pronouns such as ze/zir, xe/xir, and ey/em. Another book urges young children to search for pictures from a list of words that includes “drag queen,” “underwear,” “intersex flag,” and “Marsha P. Johnson,” a former prominent gay activist and drag queen. 

Although LGBT advocates have rallied in support of the books, a coalition of mothers, fathers, and parental rights groups have called out the school board for shoving gender ideology in front of young children. 

“The School Board is pushing inappropriate gender theory on children and running roughshod over parental rights,” Grace Morrison, board member of Kids First, said in a statement. “Today, we urged the Court to let kids be kids, and let parents guide their religious future. A child’s innocence, once lost, is gone forever.” 

Photo: Parents gather outside of Supreme Court on April 22. Photo credit: @TinaDescovich (via X)