Florida school board reverses decision nixing access to children's book about a male penguin couple

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Updated 6:19 AM CDT, August 8, 2023

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Months after access to a popular children’s book about a male penguin couple hatching a chick was restricted at school libraries because of Florida’s “ Don’t Say Gay law,” a central Florida school district says it has reversed that decision.

The School Board of Lake County and Florida education officials last week asked a federal judge to toss out a First Amendment lawsuit brought by students and the authors of “And Tango Makes Three” in June. Their complaint challenged the restrictions and Florida’s new law prohibiting classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels.

The lawsuit is moot since age restrictions on “And Tango Makes Three” have been lifted following a Florida Department of Education memo that said the new law only applied to classroom instruction and not school libraries, according to motions filed Friday by Florida education officials and school board members of the district located outside Orlando.

The “Don’t Say Gay” law has been at the center of a fight between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running to be the 2024 GOP presidential nominee and has made the culture wars a driving force of his campaign. DeSantis and Republican lawmakers took over control of the district after Disney publicly opposed the law.




Read more: https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-florida-book-ban-tango-b5e985c99c189f406baa0f1cee8ad7fb

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[Pencougar1]

1. Whew- Thank God-

Now that that's solved, easy times ahead.

[Biophilic]

2. Well , now, that's a BIG difference.

NOW it's ok to have all these books in school libraries (thousands of which have already been pulled off library shelves), but gender etc just can't be spoken of in the classroom. Does this make sense to anyone?

[Old Crank]

3. Could it be that

They don't want to go to trial and have their 'junk' put in a wringer?
Think of al lthe bad pub if nothing else from having to defend tehri actions spread nationwide.

[SouthernDem4ever]

13. That was my first thought too

and they also run the risk of the law being overturned as unconstitutional.

[Initech]

4. Gee, you think that might have been grossly unconstitutional?

Fuck Desantis, fuck the MAGA school board cretins, and fuck Fox News for bringing this madness on us!

[sakabatou]

7. +1000

[SouthernDem4ever]

14. +1001

[cbabe]

5. Calling out bullies is effective. Plus threaten huge payout. Watch them run and hide.

[Initech]

10. I personally love that Gavin Newsom is doing this.

We need more like him in the democratic party!

[Savaspas]

6. Intolerance is a cancer

We cannot deny the existence of people who love other people of the same sex.

[Wonder Why]

8. The Make Ani Gay Again crowd thinks they can. They wear those stupid red hats proclaiming it.

[Initech]

11. What if I'm intolerant of their intolerance?

[mercuryblues]

12. Then the anti crowd blames you for all the division in this country.

and hurricanes.

[elleng]

9. Nice cover illustration.

Reminds me of pics my former husband, artist, drew.

[Marthe48]

15. Who here grew up on Cisco Kid and Pancho

The Lone Ranger and Tonto
My Three Sons (with either Bub or Uncle Charley)
Family Affair
The Odd Couple
Wild Wild West
Zorro
Bosom Buddies
Kae and Allie
Not too many shows with female leads

How many other other tv shows depicted relationships between people of the same sex? Are all of these shows going to be banned because asses like desantis thinks they might allow people to think relationships between friends leads to same sex sex? Pandering to dirty minds.

[elleng]

16. ME, Cisco Kid and Pancho,

The Lone Ranger and Tonto.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

17. Laverne and Shirley

Peep Show (UK) is another.