Book featuring nudity, BDSM available to elementary students draws backlash

February 21, 2025

Parents in a New York school district have voiced objections to an LGBT book that features illustrations of naked or near naked people and is available to elementary age students, prompting the school board president to end the meeting early.

According to the Christian Post, parents attending the Penfield Board of Education meeting on Tuesday objected to a book by author Emily Neilson about a young girl attending a pride parade with her lesbian parents.

The Rainbow Parade book features drawings of nudity as well as people dressing in various sexual fetish costumes and shows a drag queen telling the main character that she should be “proud” of her two moms.

Some parents expressed unhappiness that they weren’t allowed to make their concerns known when School Board president Emily Roberts ended the meeting abruptly.

Penfield Central School District Superintendent Tasha Carter said that disruption from parents was the reason Roberts chose to end the meeting early.

Concerns about the book first came to light when Jennifer Selever, the parent of a fifth grader, went viral on social media for her remarks at a Jan. 14 school board meeting.

Selever questioned board members, saying, “This is a children’s book. Why is there a naked man? It’s not appropriate for children. They should be brought up on abuse charges, whoever approves this.”

The Feb. 11 school board meeting drew a large crowd of parents who came to express concerns for and against the book when Roberts called for a recess after several people in the crowd objected to what school district officials were saying.

The Christian Post reports that Potter expressed a desire to hear from parents who have concerns for or against the book and its availability to to elementary age students.

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