COLAGE released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s opinion on Mahmoud v. Taylor:
Today, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court endorsed a gambit to devalue the United States’ public education system in their Mahmoud v. Taylor decision. The outcome denotes a painful moment for our families, communities, and every child who deserves to see themselves reflected in the classroom. By granting general permission for parents to opt their children out of any lesson or material involving LGBTQ+ families under the guise of religious objection, the Court has given permission to erase the lives of people with LGBTQ+ parents and our families from public education.
In her scathing dissent, Justice Sotomayor argued that, “The result will be chaos for this Nation’s public schools. Requiring schools to provide advance notice and the chance to opt out of every lesson plan or story time that might implicate a parent’s religious beliefs will impose impossible administrative burdens on schools. The harm will not be borne by educators alone: Children will suffer too. Classroom disruptions and absences may well inflict long lasting harm on students’ learning and development.” We are in fervent agreement. This ruling goes beyond children’s books; it delegitimizes the integrity of the public school system that students need to become educated, productive, and equitable citizens. The impact of this decision will be felt most by students who are already made to feel like outsiders.
“When schools are forced to treat LGBTQ+ people and families as controversial or inappropriate, students with LGBTQ+ parents and LGBTQ+ youth are explicitly told that they do not belong,” said Jordan Wilson, COLAGE’s Executive Director. “It tells queerspawn that their family is something to be hidden or opted out of. This message of exclusion invites unequal and unfair teaching and learning standards in public schools and further isolates the students who need affirming spaces the most.”
In the face of this loss, we urge educators, school districts, and community leaders to remain dedicated in their commitment to inclusion. Continue offering books and lessons that reflect the full diversity of families and identities in our country and allow your students to stoke the embers of curiosity as they make their journey through school. People with LGBTQ+ parents deserve to see themselves reflected in their education and we must ensure COLAGErs know that there is space for their families in classrooms. COLAGE will continue to fight for schools that honor all families and we encourage every educator and administrator to do the same.
If you need ideas, check out The Queerspawn Resource Project or Mombian’s Database of LGBTQ Family Books. Read our joint amici brief to the Supreme Court, our report on the experiences of people with LGBTQ+ parents in schools from 2023, learn more about COLAGE and our work, and help support us as we continue to provide community and empowerment for people with LGBTQ+ parents/caregivers.
###