- The Florida governor warned of ‘explicit content’ ahead of press conference
- The video depicted minors engaging in sexual activity in children’s books
- Twitter even labeled the live stream of the video as ‘sensitive content’
By KATELYN CARALLE, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM IN TAMPA, FLORIDA
PUBLISHED: 12:39 EDT, 8 March 2023 | UPDATED: 17:57 EDT, 8 March 2023
Here are the books parents found in Florida schools and reported to their school districts for removal,’ text read in a slide of the video. ‘What was found is shocking, graphic, and we warn you… is not appropriate for children.’
Parents, many of whom spoke at the press conference, were horrified that these books were being given to their children by teachers and educators.
The recently signed ‘Parental Rights in Education’ law bans public school teachers in Florida from mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through third grade, but the state is considering expanding to the 8th grade.
DeSantis, who continued to inch closer to announcing a presidential run, railed against the presence of graphic material in schools and slammed the ‘hoax’ that taking these books out of the classroom is a form of ‘book banning.’
‘I just think parents, when they’re sending their kids to school, they should not have to worry about this garbage being in the schools,’ the GOP governor said.TRENDING
EXPLICIT BOOKS DESANTIS WANTS TO BAN FROM SCHOOLS
Gender Queer – This graphic memoir tells the story of someone figuring out they identify as neither a girl or boy. It includes illustrations of masturbation and encourages trans surgeries like double mastectomies
Flamer – This book is also told through images and depicts young boys performing sex acts with each other at a Boy Scouts summer camp
This Book is Gay – Another story told through illustrations, this book contains instructions on the ‘ins and outs of gay sex’ as well as where to meet other LGBTQ people like with online apps meant for hookup culture
Let’s Talk About It – Graphic depictions instruct children on how both men and women masturbate. It also includes instructions and best-practices for sexting, including cutting out faces and birth mark.
He compared the content in the books to pornography.
A member of the group Moms for Liberty said that calling the removal of these graphic images and content from schools a ‘ban’ on books is like saying that schools are ‘banning’ the pornographic magazine Playboy from their institutions.
‘We don’t co-parent with the government,’ another mother insisted, saying that they are happy that DeSantis is giving parents more say and insight into their children’s education.
Graphic books that DeSantis and other Florida parents want schools to remove are ones like Flamer, which is a book that depicts through illustration and description young boys at a summer camp engaged in sex acts.
Another, This Book Is Gay, is a book that contains instructions on ‘the ins and outs of gay sex’ and teaches two boys how to engage in anal sex.
Let’s Talk About It is a book found at Florida schools containing very detailed images and specific instructions on how males and females masturbate.
The graphic memoir Gender Queer includes some of the most explicit content, including illustrations of masturbation, sex and sex acts and promoting transgender surgeries like double mastectomies and comparing the scars to tattoos.
DeSantis said the only reason he sees for pushback on the removal of books with this type of content is if an educator is trying to advance their own agenda rather than put the education of the student first.
‘Every minute you spend focusing on some of this pornographic stuff, that’s less time you’re spending on doing the things that really matter to our kids in terms of them getting the education they need in math and reading and all of these other things,’ DeSantis said.
‘The only way you make that decision, in my judgment, is if you’re putting your own agenda ahead of the wellbeing of the students,’ he continued.
‘And that’s what we see too often.’
DeSantis said that Broward County, which falls within the Miami metropolitan area, is the worst offender when it comes to books that he says should not be available to minors at their educational institutions.
The removal of books from schools not only focuses on pornographic content, but also on content that DeSantis claims teaches children that certain people are inherently racist because of the color of their skin.
The Stop Woke Act, signed into law last year, stops the teaching of Critical Race Theory and prevents instruction on race relations or diversity that imply a person’s oppression or privilege is determined by their race, color, natural origin or sex.
The legislation includes removing any books or materials that might push this narrative.
Democrats have pounced on this law, claiming it will ban books from schools teaching about black figures like Hank Aaron or baseball star Roberto Clemente.
DeSantis also slammed this as a ‘hoax’ during Wednesday’s press conference in downtown Tampa.
‘What the Stop Woke Act says, you know, we’re not going to teach our kids that they are inherently racist on the basis of their race, or color, natural origin. Anyone think that babies are born racist? I don’t think so,’ DeSantis said.
‘The other thing we say is in the law, that we are not going to reach that any one race is inherently superior to another race,’ he added. ‘Is that something that we want to be teaching our kids? I don’t think so.’