Texas, Louisiana advance bills targeting sexually explicit books in libraries

TWO STATES ARE LOOKING TO RESTRICT YOUTH ACCESS TO SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL IN LIBRARIES.

BUT DEPENDING ON HOW YOU CONSUME MEDIA — YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THIS.

WE START IN TEXAS — WHERE THE STATE SENATE GAVE ITS INITIAL APPROVAL TO A HOUSE BILL THAT WOULD CREATE A RATING SYSTEM FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE ON THIS STORY — ACCORDING TO OUR EXCLUSIVE MEDIA MISS TOOL.

AS YOU CAN SEE — OUT OF THE DOZENS OF SOURCES COVERING THIS STORY — MOST ARE ON THE LEFT AND IN THE MIDDLE — AND ONLY TWO LEAN RIGHT.

WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE HEADLINES – USE THE TOOL FOR YOURSELF AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

HERE’S HOW THE RATING SYSTEM WOULD WORK.

A BOOK WOULD GET A “SEXUALLY RELEVANT” RATING IF THE MATERIAL DESCRIBES OR PORTRAYS SEXUAL ACTIVITY — BUT IS PART OF THE REQUIRED SCHOOL CURRICULUM. 

A BOOK WOULD GET A “SEXUALLY EXPLICIT” RATING IF THE MATERIAL DESCRIBING OR PORTRAYING SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IS “PATENTLY OFFENSIVE” — AND NOT PART OF REQUIRED CURRICULUM.

BOOKS WITH A “SEXUALLY EXPLICIT” RATING WOULD BE REMOVED FROM LIBRARY BOOKSHELVES.

STUDENTS WHO WANT TO CHECK OUT BOOKS WITH A “SEXUALLY RELEVANT” RATING WOULD HAVE TO GET PARENTAL PERMISSION FIRST.

NOW TO LOUISIANA — WHERE THE STATE HOUSE IS SET TO DEBATE A BILL THAT WOULD CREATE A CARD SYSTEM TO PREVENT CHILDREN FROM CHECKING OUT “SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL” FROM PUBLIC LIBRARIES UNLESS THEY HAVE PARENTAL APPROVAL.

THE BILL WOULD ALLOW PARENTS TO BRING BOOKS TO A LOCAL BOARD FOR REVIEW.

LOOKING AT THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE FOR THIS STORY — MOST OF THE SOURCES LEAN LEFT — AND ONLY ONE LEANS RIGHT.

NEITHER OF THESE BILLS HAVE ADVANCED WITHOUT CONTROVERSY.

LIBRARANS — LEGAL EXPERTS AND SOME PARENTS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN THE TEXAS BILL’S LANGUAGE IS VAGUE AND BROAD ENOUGH TO INCLUDE BOOKS THAT ARE NOT INAPPROPRIATE.

MEANWHILE — ACTIVISTS SAY THE LOUISIANA BILL USED TO TARGET L-G-B-T-Q CONTENT.