The St. Louis Park public school district in Minnesota will reportedly allow Muslim families to opt out of LGBT reading lessons for students.
Two public interest law firms, True North Legal and First Liberty Institute, sent letters to the district saying forcing Muslims to participate in LGBT lessons is a violation of the First Amendment and state law, according to Alpha News. The letter was reportedly in response to six Muslim families requesting the school to provide notice before any LGTQ-related books are presented to their children and opt them out of these lessons.
These third- and fourth-grade level children were exposed to LGBT content in October 2023, which caused “significant confusion and distress” among the families, the outlet reported.
“True North Legal exists to protect the religious freedom of Minnesota families,” Renee Carlson, general counsel of True North Legal, said, according to Alpha News. “We’re proud to have worked with these families and the St. Louis Park school district to ensure that their constitutional rights are protected. Ensuring the religious freedom of students and their families is paramount, and infringing upon that right is unacceptable.”
Fatuma Irshat, one of the mothers involved in the case, said schools should have no right to undermine their family’s “obligation to teach the principles of [their] faith,” the outlet reported.
One school board member identifying as a “queer person” reportedly said Muslim families should stand in “solidarity” with them since they are also a “marginalized” group.
“I respect your religious beliefs, and also as a queer person in a marginalized community, I would hope and expect solidarity,” school board member Sarah Davis said during a October 2023 school board meeting, according to the outlet. “Muslim communities have been historically marginalized and so have queer communities.” (RELATED: Parents Of Multiple Colors, Creeds Unite To Protest Gay Sex Lessons In Kids’ Classrooms)
LGBT advocates in Minnesota reacted to St. Louis Park’s new opt-out policy, alleging the policy was an attempt to attack LGBT people.
“Ultimately, Minnesota schools have an obligation to uphold and protect LGBTQ families and youth, and opting out broadly from LGBTQ type topics from LGBTQ issues is not in the benefit of anybody,” one activist said.
LGBT advocates at a press conference on the Minnesota Queer Caucus’ legislative priorities signal their opposition to letting Muslim families in the St. Louis Park district opt out of LGBT-related content. pic.twitter.com/5zPbnwmX0N
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) February 15, 2024
Children across the U.S. have been exposed to sexually explicit LGBTQ content. In Fairfax County, Virginia, a mother complained to the school about two books featuring pedophilia and pornography being exposed to children as young as 12 years old. The two books, “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison and “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe depicted graphic sexual encounters between men and underage boys.
In Florida, schools removed over 100 books containing pornographic material. Among the books removed from school libraries were “This Book is Gay,” “Gender Queer,” “Let’s Talk About It” and “It’s Perfectly Normal.” “Gender Queer,” written by an author who uses “e/em/eir pronouns, depicted two characters attempting oral sex with a strap-on, and “Let’s Talk About It” features an image of two people engaging in anal sex.
Muslim and Christian parents in Maryland protested outside of the headquarters of Montgomery County Public Schools against a policy that did not allow parents to opt their children out of LGBTQ lessons.