Supreme Court declines Florida’s request to enforce anti-drag show law

Ali sent me the link to this and I admit I have been holding on to it for a while.  It is important to read and understand, and so I present it here.  As you can see, the question becomes what is sexually explicit.   The world says just dressing up in the clothing different from the gender assigned at birth is OK, it is just a costume. But what republicans want to do is cement gender-specific rules into secular laws.   Only females can wear dresses or skirts, only men can wear pants.   Think of that, think how weird it is to judge people on clothing.    If every actor who wears a costume must be what the costume represents?   Are these people really trying to get to the Handmaids tale, the Taliban enforcement level of female dress.   

Think about what these religious haters are against.   Men dressed up as women, reading stories to kids!   Did any of these people disrupting these events volunteer to read to those same kids?  Really they can not be bothered to read to kids so they have to spend their time attacking people who do?  What is so important to them, the joy of reading being inspired to kids, or creating fear of being attacked for how you dress if it is a bit differently from what others may accept. Talk about narrowing one’s ability of acceptance.  

And then once they get rid of drag queens, which are just men in costumes, what next?   Forcing females to stop wearing pants?  Dear dogs that love gravy, if you think that is where they will stop you are not paying attention, are you!

So understand once they get rid of the drag queens, once they get rid of the others who are a different faith, they will come for you.  

Thank you, Ali.   Hugs.   Scottie


The law makes it a crime to admit minors to shows that the state deems too sexually explicit.
 
Drag queens ride on a float during the Stonewall Pride parade in Wilton Manors, Fla. on June 17, 2023.
Drag queens ride on a float during the Stonewall Pride parade in Wilton Manors, Fla., in June. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Florida’s bid to enforce a state law that targets drag show performances that, challengers say, imposes unlawful restrictions on free speech.

The court, divided 6-3, with three conservatives dissenting, turned away an emergency request from Florida officials after lower courts blocked the law statewide. The majority did not explain its reasoning.

 

The measure, widely seen as part of a conservative campaign against LGBTQ rights, was passed this year by the Florida Legislature. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination and has frequently leaned into culture war issues, signed the bill into law. DeSantis this year also signed into law a bill that restricts transgender health care.

Officially dubbed the Protection of Children Act, the law makes it a crime to admit a child to an “adult live performance” that the state deems sexually explicit.

The three justices who would have granted the state’s request were Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch.

A district court judge blocked the law under the First Amendment in part because it was too vaguely written, with key terms such as “lewd conduct” not defined. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals left that ruling in place.

The legal challenge was brought by an Orlando bar and restaurant called Hamburger Mary’s, which hosts what it calls family friendly drag shows.

The restaurant’s lawyers said in court papers that the shows “are not harmful to minors but likely still run afoul of the act due to its overbreadth and vagueness.”

The district court prevented the state from enforcing the law not just against Hamburger Mary’s but also statewide. The state argued that the judge did not have authority to do so.

In its application to the Supreme Court, the state asked the justices to narrow the injunction so it applied only to the restaurant.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, another conservative, wrote a brief opinion explaining why he voted against the state, saying the narrow issue the state was raising was not one the court would normally hear. Fellow conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined most of Kavanaugh’s opinion.

“This case is therefore an imperfect vehicle for considering the general question of whether a district court may enjoin a government from enforcing a law against non-parties to the litigation,” he wrote.

Johnson: America Deserves God’s Wrath For Permitting “Dark And Depraved” Things Like Young LGBTQ People

Again because people were not paying attention, the religious fanatics moved into positions of power.  Now they want to enforce their own personal way of life on everyone and are willing to destroy democracy to do it.  The public should take these people as a warning of how they want to erase our personal liberties to eased their religious fears.   Think of it, if you read both this post and the article you see that he is claiming that his god will not give good things to our country, which to be honest has really been so far his god giving good things to white people, but will now be mean to … again white people because the very people Mike Johnson thinks are bad have gained more equality in the cis hetero world.  He really thinks we are inventing new ways to be “evil”.   Hell’s bells and my dogs that love gravy how weird is this guy to think that people only started to do bad stuff now that gays have the right to marry and kids can come out at school?  Really what about slavery, what about the atrocities all through history including the Holocaust and the dark ages, Spanish Inquisition, and the horrible things Columbus and his people did.   But gay kids are where his god draws the line????  Think of the things being done in Gaza, but his god is more upset that a boy finds another boy sexually attractive so that is why he will destroy the country?   Think about where and why these people focus on.   Worth the read for both.   Hugs


Rolling Stone reports:

Talking to pastor Jim Garlow on a broadcast of the World Prayer Network, Johnson spoke ominously of America facing a “civilizational moment.” He said, “The only question is: Is God going to allow our nation to enter a time of judgment for our collective sins? Or is he going to give us one more chance to restore the foundations and return to Him?”

The segment was filmed Oct. 3, just weeks before Johnson’s unexpected rise to become speaker of the House. Garlow pressed the clean-cut Louisiana congressman to say “more about this ‘time of judgment’ for America.” Johnson replied: “The culture is so dark and depraved that it almost seems irredeemable.” He cited, as supposed evidence, the decline of national church attendance and the rise of LGBTQ youth — the fact, Johnson lamented, that “one-in-four high school students identifies as something other than straight.”

Discussing the risk of divine retribution, Johnson invoked Sodom, the Old Testament city destroyed by God for its wickedness with a rain of burning sulfur. Johnson is a polished orator, but in a closing prayer with Garlow he grew tearful. Johnson intoned, “We repent for our sins individually and collectively. And we ask that You not give us the judgment that we clearly deserve.”

Read the full article. Longtime JMG readers may recall that Jim Garlow appeared here many times starting around 15 years ago, usually for “gays are satanic” type rants.

In 2010, Garlow declared that God passed Proposition 8 in California because Christians nationwide had fasted against same-sex marriage.

In 2017, we heard from Garlow when he called for a national tax to be given to churches for them to provide healthcare to congregants, as “health is God’s issue.”

In 2021, Garlow led a group of evangelicals in marching around the Georgia Capitol building seven times to prevent Democrats from winning.

Garlow is the co-author of the so-called Manhattan Declaration, which calls on Christians to disobey all pro-LGBTQ ordinances and laws.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Pastor Jim Garlow calls for an armed uprising against the nation’s LGBTQ people. Pastor Jim Garlow claims that Christians who hate homosexuals will be rewarded with an eternal celestial orgy when they reach heaven. Pastor Jim Garlow says Satan is a gay activist. Pastor Jim Garlow says God has forgiven Newt Gingrich for his serial adultery.

 

Horrifying, really

I cannot emphasize enough that that man is dangerous. He believes that he has been placed there by God to claim the united states government for his narrow radical view of Christianity. Him + Trump represent an existential threat to the republic.

Imagine that the person with these horrifying views is two heartbeats away from being president of the U.S.!!

That is so frightening!

Two heartbeats away? He already is the beating heart of the Speaker of the House!

In its early days, our “Christian” nation wiped out most of the indigenous people and brutally enslaved millions of Africans. More recently, it fabricated excuses to start two bloody and futile wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in which untold innocent civilians and children died.

If those and other atrocities didn’t piss off the Christian god, then he either doesn’t exist or has very warped priorities.

These people are gleefully watching whats happening in Israel because, to them, it means Baby Jesus is returning any day now so he’s trying to “save” as many Americans as possible before the end.

Its horrifying, absolutely.

Absolutely. Their doctrine says the Jerusalem Temple must be rebuilt before Jesus can return. And when he does, all Jews who have not accepted him as Savior will be obliterated. Which is all of them.

What’s appallingly cynical is that while most Jews probably don’t know this, the Israeli government certainly does, and is happy to accept evangelicals’ support even knowing what’s supposed to happen to them.

And no, they do NOT want peace, because then Jesus won’t be coming. War is a necessary precursor.

Yeah, what is this obsession with us queer-folk?

 

Jealous of the great blow jobs he’ll never get nor welcoming tight holes.

Religious fanaticism is really the biggest danger to civilization.

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I wonder if it will be that, or the devastating effects of climate change that will finally be the end of us humans.

I think we deserve it, either way, for doing so very little to counter either extreme danger.

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This guy’s really dangerous. They really managed to sneak the guy in there without any proper due diligence, didn’t they? I recall that screaming shrew shouting down the reporter who asked the question about election denial. “How *dare* you apply scrutiny to us?!!”

Every Republican supported him, and none of those Republicans are facing angry constituents calling for their removal from office any time soon… so this is apparently what Republican voters want from DC.

I fully expect the dark money’d interests already knew how twisted and perverted this miserable piece of shit is before they insisted on his installation.

It’s right there in the book of Ezekiel: Sodom and Gomorrah were not destroyed due to gay people living in them. They were destroyed because violent residents violated their cultural guest laws, harassing and robbing visitors and migrants asking for help.

You can always tell what kind of Xtian you’re dealing with depending whether they actually understand the lesson in their own book or if they simply apply whatever interpretations they want in order to justify their own appalling, hateful behavior.

They ignore the part where Lot offers his daughters to the angry crowd, then later the part where Lot has sex with his daughters.

Lot offered his own four daughters to appease the soldiers to prevent them from killing the two angels he was saving in his house. For his protection from the angry mob and the soldiers, the angles made everyone who protest to become blind. This made the soldiers angry, and they raped Lot as punishment for protecting those angels, which was commonly done to control their victims.
Angels then told Lot to run away with his daughters because they were going to destroy those two mythical cities for their inhospitality and cruelty.
For one thing, there is no ancient archeological evidence that Sodom and Gomorrah ever existed. They are not on any ancient maps. As typical with most Biblical stories, they are parables to learn from except for those Christian apologists who take everything out of context to justify their bigotry and ignorance.

Christians ignore what the Bible actually says about Sodom and Gomorrah. We weren’t the cause, we were the punishment, at least the first level of punishment.

Frankly, it’s pretty insulting, but the way THEY act is what’s raising the threat level…

Christians ignore a lot of the bible. They sure focus on the hate, some of them

Looking back, if I had a safe and supportive environment when first realized I was Trans at age 15 I believe my life would have been much easier. Not perfect but easier.

This religious fanatic needs to mind his own freaking business.

Minding their own freaking business is something that christian republicans (is that an oxymoron?) are totally incapable of doing.

But, just try to get into their business, and they’ll shriek and claim persecution!

And that is why it is so important that all trans and non-binary come out. To find each other so they can comfort and support each other and show that this is ok and part of normal life. That’s the reason christStains are so against any kind of equality and normalization of all genders. Because it goes against their hate and deludes opportunities to grift money. The only reason growing up trans was hard for you and growing up gay was hard for me is because of hateful religion.

Young Americans are running screaming from Christianity because of creeps like YOU, shithead. Now go share some porn links with your son

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Ethics, reason, conscience? These are all counterbalances against religion, superstition, and bigotry.

Teabagger’s or MAGAt’s, still the same haters.

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I am to the point that I want to snap and throw any cross I see. It’s just a fucking swastika straightened out to me. Symbol of hate.

And, if you think about it, the cross was essentially used as a torture device.

It says a lot about a religion that chose that as its representative symbol.

Johnson is quite delusional and hiding a deep dark secret about himself, as we’re all quite aware. NO ONE ever goes that deep into how to ‘eliminate’ our clan than those who are deep DEEEEPPPP in a violent and sad closet.

Johnson and his son share a porno filter. That’s pretty fucking weird. And the wife speaks in baby talk. Fucking creepy.

Yeah, there’s seriously something off about this guy, beyond the usual bigotry. The prissy zealotry is extremely creepy. (Along with those other signs like the weird youthful adoption and the porn monitoring with his son.)

Some of them just seem ignorant, blind cultists. But this guy is full-on creepster culty since he’s clearly intelligent enough, or should be, to have some grounding in the real world. If I had children, I wouldn’t let him anywhere near them. He gives off serious pervy vibes.

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👇

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America Deserves God’s Wrath For Permitting “Dark And Depraved” Things Like Young LGBTQ People Republicans.

Why is one of the default babble verses against LGBTQI+ always include the story of Sodom and Gomorrah? Interesting that the post script to those verses was the daughters of Lot getting him drunk and having sex with him to supposedly make sure the world didn’t die with no survivors.

And I ALWAYS have the counterweight babble verses to this. Why was sodom and gomorrah destroyed? Because they did things that was against the traditions of the peoples in those lands at that time. And these traditions are timeless so it also applies to us in this time an place.

Ezekiel 16:48-50

•As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. (NIV)

They’ll never except the truth of what it says.

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Interesting that the post script to those verses was the daughters of Lot getting him drunk and having sex with him to supposedly make sure the world didn’t die with no survivors.

And likely what really happened was Daddy got loopy, knocking up the daughters, then blaiming them. Imagine the two boys that were birthed. He was their father AND grandfather their mom’s were their half-sisters, and each mom was the aunt to the other’s kid. And it, apparently, was all A-OK with the big sky fairy.

Sounds a lot like the arrogant, overfed and unconcerned congress critters not helping the poor, the sick etc better reread that part of the Bible quickly.

Gurrrrl, you in trouble.

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I am not threatened by the existence of LGBTQ people. Certain groups of church-going Christians, however…

Hey Maggot — your god CREATED Young LGBTQ People.

Paaaahraise Jaaaaysus !!

I have long said that if God hates gay people, then He fucked up royally when He had a hand in our creation. He is supposed to know all the past, the present, and the future. So how did we slip through? The answer we always get from the “religious ones” is that we “choose” to be gay. Stop choosing and you’ll be OK. See?

Homosexuality is a natural and a normal expression of human sexuality. It always has been, it always will be, and after all of us, here, are dead – and our existence forgotten – there will still be gay-oriented babies being born on every continent, in every country, and in every culture

Same as it ever was

That’s a little piece of truth they left out of both the Old and the New Testicles.

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First, they never think deeply about that and they became str8 the first time they got excited when they caught a glimpse of her panties or her bra straps or big tits, etc.I actually asked a coworker that once, and that is the paraphrased answer he gave me. He became str8 when he first got hot over a girl. It’s so easy. I realized that the thinking was so shallow that further discussion was useless.

So God sat back as gave a 👍🏼 to more than years of slavery and lynchings but he’s super pissed and losing his shit over young LGBTQ kids living their lives? M’kay.

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If Mike’s god stood around while 8 million Jews were killed, I don’t think he’s too worried about the gays. Stay in your lane, Mike.

And another thing to say to this…person:

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George Carlin on Abortion

Boy when he gets on a roll Carlin made a lot of sense.   Wish we had people like him in congress.    Hugs.   Scottie

America’s Next President, Ron DeSantis

“Don’t Say “Don’t Say Gay!””

I had a bad night, the images, feelings, sounds wouldn’t stop. I ended up walking the floor listening to this.

There’s got to be a morning after
If we can hold on through the night
We have a chance to find the sunshine
Let’s keep on lookin’ for the light

Oh, can’t you see the morning after
It’s waiting right outside the storm
Why don’t we cross the bridge together
And find a place that’s safe and warm


It’s not too late, we should be giving
Only with love can we climb
It’s not too late, not while we’re living
Let’s put our hands out in time


There’s got to be a morning after
We’re moving closer to the shore
I know we’ll be there by tomorrow
And we’ll escape the darkness
We won’t be searchin’ any more


There’s got to be a morning after
(There’s got to be a morning after)
There’s got to be a morning after
(There’s got to be a morning after)
There’s got to be a morning after
(There’s got to be a morning after)
There’s got to be a morning after
(There’s got to be a morning after)
There’s got to be a morning after
MAUREEN MCGOVERN

The first Mom For Liberty to successfully ban Anne Frank went on an antisemitic livestream

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-770920

Jennifer Pippin says had she known of Rick Wiles’ antisemitic views, she wouldn’t have appeared on his program, but she didn’t apologize for having gone on.

Speaker of the House


I can’t stop thinking about the new Speaker of the House and what it means that he was unanimously elected by his party…

Dems win big, anti-trans and LGBTQIA hatred loses big. Republicans lose big. What they are pushing which is minority rule by fundamentalist Christian fascism is not wanted. Let people live their lives in peace, equality, and openly as who they are.

Moms For Liberty Gets Clobbered In Pennsylvania

 

 

Stop Trying to Hide S-E-X From Students in School – They Already Know All About It From the Internet 

A wonderful post.  I got the link from https://poodyheads.wordpress.com/2023/11/02/stop-trying-to-hide-s-e-x-from-students-in-school-they-already-know-all-about-it-from-the-internet/ and adult who thinks kids own bodies are not driving their innocent angels to pleasure are beyond stupid.  Most of them deny their own preteen / teen years.  Heck, can any of us at any number claim to know that we did not know that rubbing and touching ourselves felt good.   I remember as a 14 yr old seeing a classmate rub his junk on a counter and I wondered if he knew he was doing it.  He knew it felt good, or he wouldn’t have been doing it.  But yes kids often younger than age 8 know it feels good to touch themselves.  Why do you think adults get so upset and punish toddlers for doing that in public, because the youngest kids know it feels good, and the adults want them to feel shame over it and do it sneakily in private.  

Of course as the post hints to abused kids like me knew all those things.  I can not remember the first times I was abused sexually I was so young.  But I knew about touch, how to touch, what happened at the end that made the abuser happy when the white stuff came out.  You know what I did not know?  That I could have gotten help!  That it could have stopped!  The reason I did not know that is because the right to my body was not taught in my schools back in the late 1960s.  The idea of consent or where to go if an adult uses you was not taught.   No kid knows about that so lets not burden with it, was the idea.  Think of the abused kids lives could be saved and changed if the fundamentalist Christians would move aside and let schools educate kids.   Then I remember, a lot of the Christian churches have huge sexual abuse of children scandals.  Then I remember that every attempt to raise the age young girls can be forced into a legal marriage, which in many red / religious states is 12, and the Christian religious leaders come out strongly to defeat those bills / laws.   I wonder why?  Would they be just as happy with a 12-year-old boy being required to marry an adult man?  Anyway here is the post and it is a great one.  Hugs.  Scottie


 
“Mr. Singer, do you know what foot finder is?” 

 


 
“No,” I said to the 5th grade girl in the class where I was substitute teaching.  

 


 
Her friends and her giggled through an explanation of the Website where people post pictures of their feet for sexual gratification.  
 

 


*** 
 

 


Several days later, I tried to play a video on ancient Rome for my students, but before it even began the 8th grade class burst into laughter over the station identification. 

 


 
The video was produced by the British Broadcasting Company. The BBC.  
 

 

 


I looked at them in confusion until I heard some of them muttering about “Big Black Cock” – a class of porn video many of them had seen online identified with the same abbreviation. 

 


 
*** 
 

 


Yesterday I overheard some of the girls in my 7th grade homeroom talking. One girl was saying how she really liked a certain boy but wasn’t sure if she was ready.  
 

 


I smiled thinking about my first kiss. Then I heard her ask a friend, “Can you get pregnant from swallowing it?” 
 


 
 
This is middle school, people.  

 


 
Most of the kids here already know about sex. They know way more than I did at their age. But what they know is a jumble of images and details without the big picture.  
 

 


And here come Republicans with a bunch of copycat laws to make sure public schools do nothing to dispel children’s ignorance.  

 


In my home state of Pennsylvania, GOP lawmakers are taking action once again to hide any mention of S-E-X in schools throughout the Commonwealth. 

 


 
They’re sending Senate Bill 7 to Harrisburg, another piece of legislation pumped out by the American Legislation Exchange Council (ALEC) following in the fundamentalist footsteps of  fascist Florida.  
 

 


The latest bit of dark ages lawmaking would require parent authorization before schools from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia could provide students with materials that contain anything that might be considered sexually explicit.  
 
For kids in kindergarten through 8th grade, this even includes books with depictions of any kind of nudity.  

 


God forbid they saw a wee wee or a va-jay-jay! 

 


Fun fact: did you know that most public school students have genitals? 

 


 
It’s true.  

 


 
Many boys have access to a penis anytime they want – in their underwear. 

 


 
Many girls have access to even naughtier bits.  

 


 
And don’t even get me started on nipples! Under their shirts, the Devil’s raisins!  

 


Thankfully the GOP legislation only prohibits depictions of these things in books. Kids are still allowed to look at their own bodies.  

 


For now. 

 


The bill passed the Senate in a 29-21 vote nearly along party lines, with only one Democrat supporting the proposal. It faces an uncertain future in the House where Democrats hold a one seat majority and would also require the signature of Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro before becoming law. 

 


similar measure was passed before Democrats took the House last year but was vetoed by the previous Democratic Governor Tom Wolf. 

 


If the new bill became law, districts would need to go through all books in their libraries and classrooms and list any that contain potentially sexual material. These would be books used in classroom instruction or available in the library that would then require parents to sign an opt-in form to grant permission for their children to access the books. 

 


The bill defines sexually explicit as showing “acts of masturbation, sexual intercourse, sexual bestiality or physical contact with a person’s clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or, if the person is a female, breast.” 

 


It is beyond ridiculous

 


Not only is it closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, but it’s a transparent attempt to quash any discussion of LGBTQ issues.  

 


 
What better way to discourage certain lifestyles than to legislate them out of existence?  

 


 
Schools can provide a safe place to discuss issues kids may be uncomfortable talking about with other adults. Books provide a safe way to mentally grapple with concepts and ideas of the adult world.  

 


 
For example, in my 7th grade classes, we read “Silent to the Bone” by E.L. Konigsburg. The book is about a middle school age boy who has gone mute after a questionable interaction with an adult.

 

 
 
There’s nothing very graphic in the text, but among other issues it does discuss physical attraction, sexual coercion and an erection.  
 

 


The book was approved by the school board and has helped foster many productive – if uncomfortable – conversations that help kids put their thoughts on these matters into words.  

 


 
In my daughter’s school, in 9th grade she read “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson. The book is about a high school girl dealing with being raped and the stigma of trying to talk about it.  
 

 


The text does a marvelous job of getting into the point of view of the girl and the trauma she endures while still being humorous, touching and empowering.  

 


 
Narratives like these are absolutely vital. They allow kids to relate to issues many of them have not directly experienced (but some have) and find a common language to discuss it. When we censor sex and sexuality and paint all of it as something dirty that can’t be talked about seriously, we do our children a major disservice.  

 


 
Conservatives complain that talking about these things grooms kids for greater sexual activity, but that’s nonsense. Kids grow into adults many of whom become sexually active. That’s positive and healthy. Meeting that in the safe places of the classroom and books helps kids prepare for adulthood without becoming victimized. 

 


 
But nothing grooms a victim more than the prohibition against talking about trauma.  

 


 
Finally, let’s consider the amount of ridiculous extra work this bill demands of schools and teachers. You really expect every educator with a classroom library to go through every book in it looking for anything that someone might consider sexually explicit!? Some people might think a book about a kid with two daddies is sexually explicit. You want teachers to become your perverted morality police!? Please! 

 


 
I dearly hope this bill has little chance of passing.  

 


 
It’s just another example of the Republican culture war against reality.  

 


 
It’s a way of insinuating that public schools are doing things they aren’t.  

 


 
No school is indoctrinating kids to be sexually active. But kids are coming into contact with sexually explicit material – usually on the Internet – and they have few tools to deal with it.  

 


 
Taking away public schools’ power to combat this ignorance is the worst way we could respond

True Facts: Incredible Crab Stories