During oral argument by Montgomery County, Maryland's attorney Alan Schoenfeld, Justice Neil Gorsuch delivered a body-blow to Maryland's case - and brought up an interesting question: Why is this stuff being provided to kindergartners?
Alan Schoenfeld: "Pride Puppy was the book that was used for the pre-kindergarten curriculum. That's no longer in the curriculum."
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 22, 2025
Justice Gorsuch: "That's the one where they're supposed to look for the leather and things - bondage - - things like that.
Schoenfeld: "It's not… pic.twitter.com/gQa86JaF0y
A key segment:
Justice Gorsuch: These (LGBTQ) books are being used in English class.
Alan Schoenfeld: The division between English class and other things in a second-grade classroom doesn't really exist. You're sort of in a room with a teacher.
JG: No, I appreciate that, I went to second grade too.
AS: Yeah.
JG: But... but, it's part of the English curriculum that these books are being used in. I thought that was (inaudible.)
AS: Yeah, I'm not fighting the premise.
JG: It's not the math class, it's not the human sexuality class.
The primary piece being discussed here is called "Pride Puppy." The author's website describes this book thusly:
A young child and their family are having a wonderful time together celebrating Pride Day―meeting up with Grandma, making new friends and eating ice cream. But then something terrible happens: their dog gets lost in the parade! Luckily, there are lots of people around to help reunite the pup with his family.
This rhyming alphabet book tells a lively story, with rich, colorful illustrations that will have readers poring over every detail as they spot items starting with each of the letters of the alphabet. An affirming and inclusive book that offers a joyful glimpse of a Pride parade and the vibrant community that celebrates this day each year.
I don't even want to imagine what they came up with for the various letters of the alphabet in a pride parade.
Later, Justice Gorsuch asks:
JG: They're being used in English language instruction at age 3?
AS: So, "Pride Puppy" was the book that was used for pre-kindergarten curriculum. That's no longer in the curriculum.
JG: That's the one where they are supposed to look for the leather, and bondage things, like that?
AS: It's not bondage, it's a woman in a leather...
JG: A sex worker.
AS: No.
JG: No?
AS: No. That's not correct.
JG: I thought... Gosh, I read it.
I have to say, the deadpan delivery of the line, "Gosh, I read it," was pretty good. And props to Justice Gorsuch for doing his homework; that can't have been pleasant.
Consider the implications of this argument.
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"Pride Puppy" may have been taken out of the Montgomery County curriculum, but the question remains how it got there in the first place. Note the admission that this book was being provided to pre-schoolers.
Pre-schoolers.
Regardless of how this case ends up being decided, if there's a better argument for school choice, I can't think of what it might be. Let parents send their kids to the Fluffy Bunny LGBTQWTF+++ Academy if they please, and let other parents send their sprouts to the Elon Musk School of Science and Technology, and I bet I know which kids will come out better in the workplace after graduation. And with that, these decisions will be made by the parents - the decisions as to what kids will be exposed to will be made, as it should be, by the parents. In this case, where these... materials were shown to pre-schoolers by what we can only call activist educators, that's unforgivable. It's a gross intrusion into the rights of parents.
If a parent wants their toddlers exposed to pride parades and the LGBTQ agenda, let them do it on their own time. This stuff has no business in the schools.
Editor's Note: This article was updated post-publication for clarity.
President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.
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