Dem Gov Signs Law Restricting Kids’ Access To Sexually Explicit Books
Brandon Poulter on June 30, 2023
Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill into law Wednesday that will limit minors’ access to sexually explicit materials in libraries.
Senate Bill 7, authored by Republican Louisiana state Sen. Heather Cloud, will become effective Aug. 1, 2023, according to Louisiana’s legislative website. The act requires public libraries in the state to create a system for classifying what materials are sexually explicit, and then giving parents the final say in whether their children can access those materials.
“The legislature recognizes the fundamental right of parents to make decisions as to the care, custody, and control of their children. This fundamental right includes the right to decide the upbringing and education of children under their control,” the law reads.
“Parents have the right to guide and direct the reading, listening, and viewing choices of their minor children. Many libraries lack adequate policies addressing the access of minors to sexually explicit materials,” the law continues.
Louisiana Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Landry, a vocal proponent of the bill, revealed in February a report showing that libraries stocked books such as “Gender Queer: A Memoir” and “Blankets,” that children could access. The books include sexually graphic images depicting genitalia, as well as acts of masturbation and oral sex.
The Louisiana Library Association (LLA) disagreed with Landry’s assessment of the material in libraries.
“When it becomes clear that efforts are being made to dehumanize a particular portion of the population by stigmatizing their voices or restricting access to information or ideas, the library and its supporters will always protect the basic human and civil rights of the community it serves,” LLA said in a statement in response to Landry’s report.
Landry, Cloud and Bel Edwards did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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