(The Center Square) – Following a 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday, siding with parents in opting out their children from school curriculum with LGBTQ storybooks, Illinois political leaders are sounding off.
In the case Mahmoud v. Taylor, the court recognized parents have a constitutional right to opt their children out of, for religious reasons, content such as storybooks that push LGBTQ ideology.
“We have long recognized the rights of parents to direct ‘the religious upbringing’ of their children,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court’s majority opinion. “And we have held that those rights are violated by government policies that substantially interfere with the religious development of children.”
While the case involved a school district in Maryland, the ruling is expected to have impacts across the country.
Illinois U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, said parents had their voices heard by the justices.
“For years, parents have sounded the alarm about obscene and inappropriate content invading our schools, and today, they were heard,” Miller posted on X. “The Supreme Court has delivered a historic win for families, affirming parental rights, safeguarding religious freedom, and pushing back against the Left’s radical gender ideology targeting our children.”
Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, said the ruling is “a loss for public education, freedom of speech, and LGBTQ+ rights.”
“LGBTQ+ stories matter. Kids deserve to see themselves in the books they read,” Durbin said. “Tragically, the same zealots who try to ban books from libraries are now trying to limit what kids can learn, read, and hear from teachers in their classrooms. We must put love and acceptance over hate and division. As Pride Month comes to a close, it’s clear we still have a fight ahead of us.”
