We asked Texas Republicans banning books to define 'pornography.' Here's what they told us.
The word featured prominently in a March 2 letter penned by Republican state Rep. Jared Patterson that was sent to school districts across Texas. Signed by 26 fellow Republican state legislators, Patterson's missive suggested a pledge to not buy books from vendors that supply "pornography" and specifically pointed to the graphic novel "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by author Maia Kobabe as an offending example.
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Rep. Jared Patterson: "The work I have been doing in the past several months, which includes the letter recently sent to Texas superintendents, is in regards to prohibiting explicit and obscene materials from being made available to school children through public school libraries. The book 'Gender Queer' is a good example of explicit and obscene material, as it graphically illustrates two young boys engaging in oral sex. This book, or anything similar, is absolutely inappropriate and should be removed from public school library shelves immediately."
Rep. Dustin Burrows: "The standard is set forth by the Supreme Court and the book 'Gender Queer' clearly meets that definition."
Rep. Matt Shaheen: "Texas Penal Code Sec. 43.21. defines obscene materials as 'patently offensive representations or descriptions of ultimate sexual acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated, including sexual intercourse, sodomy, and sexual bestiality.' Specific examples found in public schools that align with the above definition include graphic images of women being raped by demons and little boys performing sexual acts on each other. Anyone who believes this is acceptable is mentally ill. We will be going after the vendors that sold this trash to Texas children."
Rep. Jeff Leach: “You know it when you see it. And if you see it and you know it, those images must be swiftly removed from any and all public school classrooms in Texas.”
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