Largest Teachers’ Union in U.S. Blasted for Promoting ‘Pornographic’ Kids’ Book: ‘Dissolve the Teacher Unions’

School librarian Jamie Gregory, from South Carolina, displays two books that have been rep
AP Photo/Claire Savage
Joshua Klein

The country’s largest teachers’ union is facing backlash after adding to its summer reading list a children’s book depicting oral sex and discussing masturbation.

The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ union in the country, added Gender Queer — which features explicit drawings of teens performing sex acts — to its summer reading list for educators on Monday:

Cartoonist Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir Gender Queer has been promoted by the New York State Department of Education and was deemed the most “challenged” book of 2022 by the American Library Association.

The book’s graphic images and apparent encouragement of children questioning their gender identity have been subject to much controversy after appearing in public school libraries throughout the U.S., leading to appalled parents nationwide:

Kobabe, who uses “e/em/eir” pronouns and identifies as both nonbinary and asexual, has called it “really dangerous and unfair to shield young people from things like sex and health and information about their bodies—partly because there is so much misinformation online.” 

“I would rather a young person learn about topics of sex and sexuality from a book that has passed through many levels of editorial and fact-checking and is written by an author who is interested in sharing accurate information,” she asserted.

In response, many took to social media to express outrage over the move.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk called to “dissolve the teacher unions,” as he accused the NEA of endorsing “racist anti-white screeds and a book with graphic oral sex images as great summer reading.”

Valuetainment’s Patrick Bet-David called for “zero tolerance for this nonsense”:

Texas Freedom Coalition founder Christin Bentley accused the sexually explicit book of “promot[ing] pornography to minors.”

The NEA also listed White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism among its list of 11 recommended reads.

In March, the book’s author, Robin DiAngelo, called on “people of color [to] get away from white people and have some community with each other”: 

The matter comes as woke initiatives seek to incorporate leftist gender ideology and queer theory in the educational system, including the dissemination of sexually explicit, pro-LGBTQ, and transgender propaganda in elementary and kindergarten classrooms.

In response, education advocate Sam Sorbo has accused America’s educational system of “child abuse,” while criticizing the “craziness” surrounding gender ideology being promoted in schools. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law forbidding instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade, in addition to holding an event displaying some of the sexually explicit books found in his state’s schools:

Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs slammed the woke “indoctrination” taking place in today’s schools, including the availability of “inappropriate” and “pornographic” text materials, as he called to prioritize students’ “physical, mental, and spiritual” safety.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an “assessment tool” for teachers and school administrators to measure their commitment to “LGBTQ inclusivity” in the classroom.

The tool asks leading questions about school personnel and their commitment to queer theory, including encouraging sex education teachers to have gender-neutral anatomy, referring to a boy as a “body with a penis” and a girl as a “body with a vagina.”

In April, former first daughter Chelsea Clinton faced accusations of pushing “pornography” for schoolchildren after she came out against “bans” of sexually explicit pro-LGBTQ materials in schools nationwide:

This week, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, vetoed Senate Bill 49, which focuses primarily on parental rights.

In part, the legislation clarifies that parents have the “right to consent or withhold consent for participation in reproductive health and safety education programs” and the right to know of and approve of preferred pronoun changes for their children, among other rights listed in the legislation. 

However, Cooper believes the legislation will “scare teachers into silence by injecting fear and uncertainty into classrooms,” despite acknowledging that parents are “the most essential educators for their children.”

Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.

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