Texas pushes to purge school libraries of sex-education titles, citing ‘demonic’ content

At a press event, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and conservative activist Bonnie Wallace condemned the high-school sex-education comic "Let's Talk About It," calling it demonic and demanding its removal from Texas school libraries. They pointed to Senate Bill 13, passed last year, which empowers parents to contest library books and places final approval with school boards. Patrick also hinted at future legislation that could lower a school's accountability rating if any challenged books remain on shelves.

Their campaign targets a list of about 2,200 titles, heavily weighted toward LGBTQ, gender-identity, and sexual-health subjects, including well-known works like "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and "The Bluest Eye." While the officials claim they are not banning books, the pressure could force schools to discard a wide range of material, limiting students' access to comprehensive sexual education. Critics note the book in question presents consent, boundaries, contraception, and related topics in a age-appropriate, non-erotic comic format. The controversy highlights a broader effort in Texas to control sexual content and LGBTQ representation in educational settings.