Four schools in America face court action unless they agree to put a children’s storybook about lesbian mums on library shelves.
The book was taken away because of parental objections, but activists are threatening to sue.
The book, ‘In Our Mothers’ House’, was removed from library shelves at four schools in the Davis School District, Utah, after parents objected.
Sue
The book is still available on request at the libraries, but students need permission from their parents to take it out.
The American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU), which backs gay marriage, has threatened to sue the school district.
However, the school district is sticking to its decision saying that parents should be in “the driver’s seat”.
Free speech
One parent complained about the book, saying it “normalises a lifestyle we don’t agree with”.
Another parent commented that it is “not a natural process to have a complete family without a male and female”.
The ACLU claim that constitutional laws which protect free speech mean the book must be forced onto library shelves.
Courts
It is not the first time that cases involving gay storybooks in schools have ended up in the US courts.
In 2006 a family in Massachusetts were upset that an elementary school had failed to get their permission before using a gay marriage storybook, ‘King & King’, with their young child.
But in January 2008 a federal appeal court rejected the parents’ case, saying: “schools are not obliged to shield individual students from ideas which potentially are religiously offensive”.