Identities are expanding, while books are disbanding

The LGBTQ community has been under attack for decades. The community has fought its hardest to have the same rights as every other person. So, it isn’t a surprise when public schools in Bucks, Lebanon, and Lancaster County are quietly removing LGBTQ books. These books published and put into the libraries of schools are used for educational and informative uses like any other books. These books give students the information they need to understand their feelings and allow them to be able to use their words to express themselves. Not every kid has the same straight family or wants to love the opposite sex. Students with these feelings and their families shouldn’t be ostracized, especially in their school where they should feel comfortable expressing themselves.

The battle for basic civil rights affects everyone. It affects families, friends, and school administrators. Schools have been gradually taking away books from libraries and putting them in a “separate section” where if a child wants to understand themselves better, they have to start by getting their parents involved. They are not being given the chance to think for themselves before having a conversation with their parents about it. Students should be allowed to understand their feelings, even when it is not considered normal. Getting a book from a separate section involves having to talk to a parent or guardian about the way you are feeling. So, they can tell you if you are or aren’t allowed to read a book. Some kids don’t have the ability or the safety to tell their parents about their sexual orientation. If your parent says no, then that puts the student at risk of at-home harassment and takes away their right to learn. The right to learn is given to the students by the school and should not be infringed upon. School is supposed to be a place where students are allowed to learn about things they would enjoy knowing about.

Though students should feel safe in their school, most LGBTQ students don’t feel safe in their school to express themselves. Madeline Wilson, a student at Pennridge School District and not a part of the LGBTQ community, when asked about the safety of LGBTQ students said “no, Pennridge is not a safe place for the LGBTQ community.” The removal of the books enforces the feelings of the community not being supported in the Pennridge School District.

Lisa Maderic, the Pennridge School District librarian said that “Since we have students that fit into this criteria [being a part of the LGBTQ community] and if they want to know more about the matter, they should have access to it for their knowledge.” Students should be able to access this information freely. School should be a safe place to learn about themselves, others, and their community. It is not fair for students to feel ostracized because they love someone of the same sex or don’t have the same sexual orientation as the other students. The removal of the LGBTQ books is showing the true colors at schools such as Pennridge.