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Author and illustrator of controversial LGBTQ+ children’s books at the center of Friday Supreme Court In a joint statement, it was ruled to blow up the decision as “discriminatory and harmful.”
The Justice decides 6-3 Mahmoud v. Taylor Parents can exclude their children from the curriculum of the Maryland public school system, which contains topics about homosexuality and transgenderism if they believe that materiality conflicts with religious beliefs. The parents who filed the lawsuit spanned a range of religious backgrounds, from Muslims to Christians of different denominations.
Maryland parents who filed the lawsuit said in a petition to the Superior Court that the Montgomery County Public Schools Commission introduced books to their elementary school students who promoted “gender transition, pride parades and homosexual playground romance.”
The school board initially allowed parents to select their children from classes involving the books, but then blocked the exit, parents said. They also say that the existence of these books creates “indirect pressure to abandon religious practice”, which creates sufficient burden to infringe on their right to religious freedom.
Parent group, religious freedom experts enjoy parental rights in LGBTQ book case Scotus
Maryland parents gather to “opt out” LGBT courses in their children’s school. The Supreme Court ruled on June 27, 2025 on the legal case. (Getty Image)
Major Scotus Parental Rights Case attracts McMahon, Mom Free to Rally in Court
The author and illustrator of the books mentioned in court case in harsh letter.
“As the author and illustrator of named books Mahmoud v. TaylorWe believe that the Supreme Court’s ruling today threatens students’ access to various books and undermines teachers’ efforts to create safe, inclusive classrooms. It is discriminatory and harmful to deal with children’s books about LGBTQ+ characters in a way similar to books that are not LGBTQ+ characters. “This decision will inevitably bring an increasingly hostile climate for LGBTQ+ students and families and create a less welcome environment for all students,” they said.
In arguing that books like this not only make children feel more representative, but also teach them “how to share their classrooms and communities with people who are different from themselves,” authors and illustrators see them as part of a larger shift.
“We know that families and educators are all over the country who are committed to creating inclusive classrooms that meet the needs of a wide range of student groups in the district. We work with them spiritually to ensure that all students are seen and supported,” the organization said. “We will continue to support families and children across LGBTQ+ and advocate for the right of all students to read freely. We strongly disagree with the court’s decision.”
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Protesters support LGBTQ+ books, displayed outside the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. on April 22, 2025 (Getty Image)
Education Secretary Linda McMahon celebrated the ruling, a victory for “parental rights” and a loss for “bureaucrats”.
“Parents have the right to know what their children learn in school and to exercise First Amendment religious freedom, opt out of separatist and ideological lessons that go against the values and beliefs of their families,” McMahon said.
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“This is a historic victory for parental rights in Maryland and the United States as a whole. Children should not be trapped in conversations about drug queens, pride parades or gender transitions or gender transitions, without parents,” said Eric Baxter, vice president and senior legal counsel for Beckett, a legal group representing the parent case.
