Books are under intense scrutiny and classroom discussions are being suppressed as heated debates over what curricula should be taught in public schools sweep the nation. Children’s education has been placed in the hands of conservative legislators and parents who have increased measures to remove content of curricula they deem uncomfortable, such as sexual orientation and racism.
It is crucial for younger generations to be exposed to evolving belief systems and taught about societal injustices in order to combat an increasingly polarized society. Censorship restricts creative and intellectual thought, which ultimately leads to bigotry and the creation of intolerant cultures.
LGBTQ+ youth have experienced their voices being silenced in the classroom through legislation such as the Florida bill dubbed “Don’t Say Gay,” which banned LGBTQ-inclusive books and discussions on gender identity and sexuality. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, this year alone, more than 111 bills have been passed or discussed in an attempt to eliminate conversations regarding race and gender. These bills create a hostile school environment, invalidating students’ identities and send the message that there is something wrong with who they are.
Exposure to diverse perspectives builds empathy and a tolerant understanding of different experiences. Through reading literature with LGBTQ+ characters and discussing sexual orientation in classrooms, students can develop a sense of security within themselves and their environment as well learning how to treat and interact with people different than themselves.
According to the Brown Political Review, proposed legislation in some states makes “promoting a negative account or representation of the founding and history” of the United States in public schools illegal. American history is written by the wealthy and powerful, which have been white men, resulting in a white-washed history where students may not learn about marginalized communities, preventing them from becoming productive citizens of a democratic society.
Conservative legislators are attempting to push for a biased, limited curriculum by using their power to deem subjects as controversial, as well as withholding funding from schools in order to ensure obedience from educational institutions. If schools do not comply, teachers could lose their jobs or licenses and face legal issues.
While parents may want to control what their children learn in order to preserve childhood innocence and traditional values, censorship can harm the youth by restricting their ability to grow intellectually and develop an open mindset. Bigotry and hate stem from a lack of knowledge of experiences and people different from oneself. Therefore, it is imperative that students receive a truthful and unbiased education.
Eliminating censorship in schools is essential in not only accepting, but utilizing unconventionality to create a cooperative society that can work cohesively to solve issues. In order to combat stigmatized topics, one must be able to have honest discussions rather than running away from uncomfortable subjects.
