Supreme Court Case involving Pride Puppy:
On January 17, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States heard the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor, a asking them to rule on whether the Montgomery County public school district in Maryland has the right to use LGBTQ+ picture books in classrooms without notifying parents and giving them the option of opting their children out. The case involves nine LGBTQ picture books, including Pride Puppy. GLAAD has prepared a fact sheet about the case.
As the authors and illustrators of these books, we spoke up about the case. You can read our statement about the case here. We also released this statement after the oral arguments.
Addressing Misinformation About Pride Puppy
The law firm representing the religious parents in this case has been pushing misinformation about the books for the past two years. Much of it focusses on Pride Puppy, and has been widely shared online by right wing media. On April 22, Justice Neal Gorsuch repeated that misinformation in court: while insisting he had read the book, he falsely claimed it included images of bondage and sex workers. Later that day, I spoke with The law firm representing the religious parents in this case have been pushing misinformation about the books for the past two years. Much of it focusses on Pride Puppy, and has been widely shared online by right wing media. On April 22, Justice Neal Gorsuch repeated that misinformation in court: while insisting he had read the book, he falsely claimed it included images of bondage and sex workers. Later that day, I spoke with CBC’s As it Happens.
The following links debunk some of the lies about the book.
From Pride Puppy illustrator Julie McLaughlin: Addressing Misconceptions about Pride Puppy
From Jay Willis: I Think Neil Gorsuch Is Lying About a “Religious Freedom” Case, Again
More From the Authors and Illustrators
From PEN America: Authors Speak Up About Their Books Being Misrepresented in a Lawsuit Headed to the Supreme Court
From Sarah and Ian Hoffman, authors of Jacob’s Room to Choose, in Time Magazine: Our Books Help Teach LGBTQ Themes in Schools. Should SCOTUS Allow Parents to Opt Out?
Sarah S. Brannen, author of Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, in The Boston Globe: “I wrote a children’s book 20 years ago. It’s now the center of a Supreme Court Case.”
‘Uncle Bobby’s Wedding is a gentle little story about a family’: Sarah S. Brannen’s 20-year fight for LGBTQ+ children’s books
Charlotte Sullivan Wild, author of Love, Violet: SCOTUS Takes Case Naming LOVE, VIOLET & 8 Other Books
‘All children should feel safe to use the bathroom’: Sarah and Ian Hoffman on writing to create a culture of kindness
‘All kids deserve to see families like their own in the books they read’: Robin Stevenson writes books she wishes she had read growing up
From Mombian: Charlotte Sullivan Wild addresses the misrepresentation of Love, Violet
Other Media
A lot has been written about this case, and no doubt more will be- I am not going to attempt to collect it all here. These are a just few of the more thoughtful pieces I’ve come across:
From Jay Willis at Balls and Strikes: Let’s Take a Look at the Children’s Books Sam Alito Is So Afraid Of.
From Jay Willis at Balls and Strikes: The Conservative Justices Are Inventing the Religious Liberty Case They Want to Decide
From Mombian: U.S. Supreme Court LGBTQ Book Case Is About More Than Just Books
Interviews with Robin about Book Challenges:
Many of my books have been challenged, from picture books like Pride Colors and Pride Puppy, to my non-fiction books like Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle, Queer History A-Z, and My Body My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights. Several of my novels have also been challenged, including When You Get the Chance, co-written with Tom Ryan. These challenges have been in Canada and the US, and have affected books in both school and public libraries. The following are some interviews with me about this subject.
From Freedom to Read Canada: Author Robin Stevenson Resists Organized Challenges to Books About Sexual Minorities, by Robert Bittner
From PEN Canada: You can’t read that: Banning kids’ books in Canada and the United States, by Jennifer Lanthier
From Orca Book blog: Standing Together Against Book Bans
Book Challenges: Resources and Organizations
PEN America has statistics on book bans, up to date banned book lists, and many useful resources for fighting back against censorship and supporting the freedom to read.
UNITE AGAINST BOOK BANS has tips for attending school board meetings, and a form to report book challenges and censorship in your community. They also have book resumes that you may find helpful in defending a specific book against a challenge.
WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS has many resources to help you respond when books are challenged in your community.
Canada’s ANTI-HATE NETWORK has a guide on what we can do to fight back at the local level, by preventing hate groups from taking over school boards in our communities.
The Canadian Library Challenges data base lists book challenges- and their outcomes- at Canadian libraries.
The Canadian Center for Free Expression creates profiles of challenged books, as well as linking to many useful and interesting articles.
PEN Canada defends books and writers around the world, and brings a focus on Canadian issues related to book challenges, censorship, and free expression.
New Anthology on Fighting Book Bans
BANNED TOGETHER: OUR FIGHT FOR READERS’ RIGHTS is finally here! I am so thrilled to have an essay in this amazing anthology. Published in March 2025, and edited by Ashley Hope Perez, this book has already earned five starred reviews!
Kirkus calls it “An empowering and critically timely blueprint for action.”
Publishers Weekly writes, “… a manifesto against book banning delivered by the authors whose livelihood is on the line, this collection movingly reminds readers of the power they have against censorship…. Powerful reading for a crucial moment.”
Booklist says this anthology “acts as a call to action and a form of protest, using the power of words to inspire hope and unity.”
And School Library Journal writes, “This light in the darkness is an inspiring call to action and an essential addition to all collections.”
