Authors of LGBTQ+ books say school visits cancelled after parent complaints
Some authors of LGBTQ+ books have had school visits cancelled (Getty Images, stock)
Several authors have spoken out after school visits promoting their children’s books – which feature same-sex families, queer characters, or other LGBTQ+ themes – were cancelled or disrupted following complaints from “homophobic” parents.
Authors spoke to The Bookseller in a 16 July interview, describing schools cancelling events at short notice, allowing pupils to be withdrawn from talks, or asking them not to discuss LGBTQ+ themes despite their books focusing primarily on friendship, adventure and family.
Author Kristina Rahim said two planned primary school visits were cancelled after parents claimed her books contained sex education because some of her characters are donor-conceived. “My books don’t teach sex education,” she told The Bookseller. “They simply feature characters who happen to be donor-conceived.”
Author Jen Carney also recalled arriving at a primary school where around 30 out of 100 children had been withdrawn from her event after parents organised against her visit because she is part of the LGBTQ+ community. Although the visit ultimately went ahead, Carney said she believed the objections stemmed from the fact that the main character in her book has two mums. “I thought it was a great shame that children would miss out on a fun, interactive author visit because of their parents’ homophobic views,” she said.
Carnegie-nominated author Sarah Hagger-Holt described separate incidents where children were removed from library workshops halfway through after teachers said their parents had not consented. Shewas also asked not to mention LGBTQ+ topics during the remainder of an event. She said she has also faced accusations of promoting “gender ideology”, responding instead with: “I have always tried to take these conversations back to my characters, and to the ability of fiction to build empathy across different views and experiences.”
The Society of Authors said it has begun tracking cancellations linked to LGBTQ+ themes, with deputy chief executive Sarah Burton expressing concern about what she described as “the censorship of authors and their books in this way.”
A Department of Education spokesperson told The Bookseller, saying: “This government has made it clear that discrimination has no place in our schools, nor in society, and no one should ever feel unwelcome in an educational environment because of who they are.” They continued, saying: “We require schools to promote fundamental British values including mutual respect and tolerance, and within statutory RSHE children are taught the importance of equality and respect, as well as learning about all protected characteristics, including sexual orientation.”
Despite the challenges, the authors stressed that the overwhelming majority of schools, teachers and librarians remain welcoming and supportive, with many saying the most rewarding moments are meeting children who finally see families and experiences like their own reflected in books.
The stories come as England prepares to introduce updated Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance this September, which includes teaching about sexual orientation and gender reassignment in secondary schools. Under the current guidance, primary schools are obliged to teach students about different family types. Parents do have the right to be consulted ahead of time regarding sex education lessons and religious education, and they have a right to withdraw their children from school due to the content of lessons.
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