OPEN SEASON ON GAY PENGUINS

al punching bag for just as long. Critics contend that the book promotes an LGBTQ agenda and amounts to "indoctrination." Those who spoke against the book at the Feb. 20 meeting backed

One man asked the board if this sentiment was the motivating force of their official calculus—"Surely, I'm assuming that we're not, that our board members are not making these decisions primarily based on religious belief—you know, homosexuality being a sin. I'm assuming that's not being the primary grounds that y'all's

Just before tossing the title from the district, Escambia County School Board Chairman Paul Fesko recalled listening to a kindergarten teacher share the book with a group of children years ago. The teacher didn't read the book but rather offered her own interpretation—"never any discussion about 'they were a couple,' 'they were in love,' 'they were embracing each other,' any of the things that went more on the sexual side."

Fesko thought the book offered an otherwise valuable account of penguin biology and had a suggestion. "The book may be edited, rewritten to make it less of a sexual, or even a romantic thing and more of the compassion that

Makes Three" was definitely pulled from availability because the penguins are perceived as -

By Jeremy Morrison

Three hours into the meeting, the Escambia County School Board appeared to have identified the edge, a boundary of sorts in the crusade to cull the district of obscene and pornographic material. Two of them suggested that perhaps the children's book "And Tango Makes Three" should be spared from the literary sanitation.

But, no, the gay penguins must go. They are indoctrinating our children.

"When I first saw we were getting a penguin book, I didn't really think much about it, and then I researched it a little bit," reckoned board member Kevin Adams, explaining that it violated state law. "It is targeting K-5 students, OK?"

"When I look at it, the fascination is still on that it's two male penguins raising a chick," concluded fellow board member David Williams.

In tandem with school districts throughout Florida and inspired by Gov. Ron DeSantis' marching orders, Escambia's school board is reviewing the books that might run afoul of new state regulations that target material that leans into the topics of sex, gender and race.

Escambia has a growing list of over 150 titles under review and is actively thinning books from teachers' classroom bookshelves. Last fall, the board tossed "The Perks of Being a Wall - flower" by Stephen Chbosky, and on Feb. 20, they removed three more titles.

This time was different, though. In addition to the scripture-quoting cheerleaders praising the removals, the meeting chambers were now swollen with a growing number of critics, decrying what they see as a dangerous exercise in cultural and politically motivated censorship.

"The fact that we have two books that are being banned for having children—and penguins for crying out loud—that are LGBTQ is ridiculous," said Ella Jane Hoffmaster, co-vice president of the Booker T. Washington High School Student Government Association. "I feel as though I am not getting as good of an education because of this. I think I should be learning about all kinds of people."

DOES GOD LOVE 'DIRTY SEX STORIES'?

What constitutes a dangerous book? Pornographic? Something to shield students from?

"And Tango Makes Three" is a very illustrative book in this sense. And not just because it's a children's book full of illustrations. Written in 2005 by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, the book is a nonfiction account of two male penguins who create a nontraditional family at New York City's Central Park Zoo.

"And Tango Makes Three" has been available to young readers for years and has been a cultur- trict in February were "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson and "When Aidan Became a Brother" by Kyle Lukoff. The first title consists of essays about growing up Black and queer, while the second pertains to a trans child.

Critics contend that the books are obscene, pointing to, among other things, graphic sexual content and arguing that such books should not be provided to students. And they often frame their positions in religious and exclusionary terms.

"We have to answer to him," said Aaron Schneider, casting a scene in which the school board stood before God. "All of us have to answer to him for that. We can't pretend we're not going to get up there, and he's going to say, 'You did a good job; those kids really needed some dirty sex stories while they were growing up.'"

Meanwhile, those who lobbied for retaining the three titles pointed out that some books may be found objectionable by some people but that they relay life experiences and could also prove beneficial to marginalized youth, pointing to disturbing trends such as the suicide rates among gay and transgender youth.

Denise Malone, the mother of a gay, nowmarried son, called "And Tango Makes Three," an "adorable" book that provided a broader representation that better reflected the realities of society. "Same-sex unions are all over the place, and why not have a child read about two penguins, a cute little story like that, to realize that it really is a thing, there are same-sex unions out there."

"And Tango Makes Three" fell by a 3-2 vote. So, in a sense, it did establish the edge, a boundary—there are enough votes to toss pretty much anything out.

Board members Bill Slayton and Patty Hightower supported the district assessment committee's determination that "And Tango Makes Three" should be retained. Targeting an awardwinning, nonfiction illustrated children's book about penguins might be too far.

That notion—in Escambia, in Florida, in 2023—turned out to be plain silly. And if it's open season on gay penguins, what books will survive cultural cleansing?

SUPERINTENDENT IN THE HOT SEAT?

The statewide culling of books currently being conducted in Florida's public school systems is a component of Gov. Ron DeSantis's culturewar offense on education in general. It aligns with his don't-say-gay, stop-woke-ism agenda that he's testing out for an eventual 2024 presidential run.

With new laws on the books, the governor has required Florida's public school systems to remove all offending material by this summer. Additionally, he has unleashed an army of politically and culturally motivated busybodies to challenge any material currently available in the public school systems.

In Escambia, this has led to a growing list of books, most flagged by Northview High English teacher Vickie Baggett, under scrutiny. A committee reviews each title, and if necessary, the school board makes the final decision.

Thus far, the assessment committees have recommended retaining all the titles they have reviewed. Four of those decisions have been challenged, with the board overruling the educators' judgment.

Unsatisfied with the pace and time-consuming debate of the district's current process—the Feb. 20 meeting stretched nearly five hours—Adams suggested Superintendent Tim Smith be more proactive and unilaterally remove questionable titles.

"Somebody who believes that book should stay can come in and appeal, OK? But we wouldn't have to go through all these books that we know have obscene and pornographic material, in my opinion," Adams said.

A few days after the Feb. 20 meeting, Adams infused a new element into this discussion. He has proposed the county commission and Florida Legislature put on the ballot in 2014 a referendum returning the superintendent position to an elected position.

That debate is teed up for the board's March 21 meeting. Stay tuned. This circus isn't close to being over. {in}