SALT LAKE CITY — The debate about which books are appropriate for school library shelves has reached the halls of the U.S. Senate, where Utah Sen. Mike Lee this week asserted no books are being “banned” and accused a prominent American Library Association leader of “grooming” children.
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing Tuesday to discuss book bans, during which the Democratic majority argued that the rising number of book challenges across the nation in recent years have disproportionately targeted books that deal with LGBTQ+ and racial themes, which they say can be key for students who are struggling with their identity.
Republicans focused on the sexual content of several books, repeating an oft-used argument that such books are used to “sexualize” or “groom” children. Lee, a Utah Republican, also took issue with the characterization of banning books.
“No one here has banned any book; you can still get these books anywhere you want them,” he said. “The question isn’t whether to ban them, the question is whether they should be included in curriculum or in a school library … There are a finite number of books that you can put in there. The question is which books should be included and which should not?”
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Written by BRIDGER BEAL-CVETKO, KSL.com.