The librarians are worried that classics like Romeo and Juliet or Of Mice and Men will get taken off the shelves because of their brief scenes that include sexuality. Photo: E+
TeeRoy's 2 Cents
- Why is the government so obsessed with what kids read in schools?
- Booksellers worry that the next step to censorship will involve limiting the availability of LGBTQ+ materials.
Booksellers and publishers in Texas are fighting back against the book-banning laws Governor Greg Abbott is trying to put in place in the state.
As it stands now, Abbott's law would more strictly regulate which books are and aren't allowed in school libraries. The law would require booksellers to evaluate and rate books based on the sexual content that may be included. What's defined as "sexual content" spans wide and will be looked for in health books, history books, religious texts, encyclopedias and fictional works.
The librarians are worried that classics like Romeo and Juliet or Of Mice and Men will get taken off the shelves because of their brief scenes that include sexuality.
Booksellers also worry that Abbott is putting them up to an impossible job. They say, "Booksellers should not be put in the position of broadly determining what best serves all Texan communities."
The lawsuit brought by the booksellers and publishers says the new law -- which is set to go into effect September 1st -- is unconstitutionally vague and a violation of free speech. (ABC News)