Titles Focus on Sex, Gender
by Jeremy Morrison, Inweekly
The Escambia County School District may be removing three more books from availability this week, as officials continue the process of reviewing potentially objectionable material being challenged by a Northview High School English teacher.
Last fall, school board members voted to remove the first title from availability, and the district is now working its way down a list of more than a 150 titles. The books were flagged by teacher Vickie Baggett, following the passage of a state law that empowered citizens to challenge any material available in the public school system. As per the law, each challenged title must undergo a review process.
On Feb. 20, Escambia’s school board will be considering the removal of “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson, “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson and “When Aidan Became a Brother,” by Kyle Lukoff.
As with many titles on Escambia’s list — primarily compiled by Baggett — these books cover the topics that have political punching bags for conservatives: race, sex and gender. “And Tango Makes Three,” for instance, is based on a true story about two male penguins at New York’s Central Park’s Zoo who form a bond and raise a chick. “When Aidan Became a Brother” addresses transgender issues.
Escambia’s book-review process involves reviewing materials one at a time or in small groupings. The process consists of community input via online forms and a review committee assessment, which determines the titles appropriateness for a specific audience. Each of the three titles being considered this week were approved during the committee assessment process.
Following each title’s review, the committee’s decision may be challenged. Baggett told Inweekly last fall that she intended to appeal any title that was not voted out during the assessment process — that’s what happened with a “Perks of Being a Wallfower,” the first title to undergo the review process last fall, forcing a final decision from the school board, which tossed the title.
Tonight’s special special meeting of Escambia’s school board will take place Monday, Feb. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the school district offices, 75 N. Pace Blvd., Pensacola. For more information of Escambia’s book review process, check out https://ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/reconsideration
ps. How many people do you suppose noticed his shift away from a shared “Judeo-Christian” tradition to a shared “Christian-Catholic” one?
This kind of stuff is not accidental, not by a long shot. He knows exactly how far he can push it–sometimes little by little, and sometimes by leaps and bounds–giving room for those supporters who will note such a shift, and perhaps even be uncomfortable with it, to talk themselves into swallowing it, while liht-touch framing it so those of us who know exactly what he is up to can be mocked as woke alarmists when we call it out.
He’s really, really good at this. Far better than Trump.
https://weartv.com/news/local/desantis-florida-college-board-sat-act-prep-admissions-entrance-test-exam-learning-alternative-jeremy-tate-religion-christian-western-ap-advanced-placement-education
Of course it’s a fascist program, Gloria. For about three years now I have been howling in the comments section here and other public venues that DeSantis has been systematically ticking off the boxes towards total autocratic power, with his banana republic legislature, his rapacious and malicious “administration,” and his pseudo governmental, oligarchic utilities entities in lockstep.
This guy probably had a copy of Mein Kampf under his pillow as a teen. And no, that doesn’t mean that his goal is genocide. He’s just fine with using the very same poisonous tools that landed there, whatever collateral consequences be damned.
And he’s far and away more dangerous than Trump, as those of us who haven’t lost our minds to fascist and communist brainwashing need to at least recognize and not be afraid to speak, even if we can’t do a damn thing about it in the end.
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“To call DeSantis a culture warrior dangerously understates what the man is capable of. He is the Genghis Khan of social issues, using every opportunity to target and demonize groups that have already been targeted and demonized throughout history. Marginalizing vulnerable groups is a classic authoritarian trope, which DeSantis seems to have down pat.
Over the past four-plus years, DeSantis has used the governorship as a sort of audition for the role of MAGA heir. He has relentlessly attacked the LGBTQ+ community, urged the Florida medical board to outlaw transgender therapy for minors, and passed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. When not targeting school boards and transgender athletes, he’s fighting with the College Board about AP African American studies or trying to turn the small progressive New College into “a Hillsdale of the South.” Trump may have sounded like an autocrat when running for president, but DeSantis has already acted like one before officially getting in the 2024 race. ”
–Molly Jong-Fast, RON DESANTIS SHOULDN’T BE COVERED LIKE JUST ANOTHER REPUBLICAN, Vanity Fair (Feb 16 2023)
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/ron-desantis-2024-election-donald-trump
https://www.ushmm.org/collections/bibliography/1933-book-burnings
Too much? I think not.