1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am urging you to resist fascism and reject H.R. 7661. The manipulatively titled “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act” does nothing to address the real harms facing children such as the widening chasm in funding for education, healthcare, and other support while continuing to ignore gun violence in schools and AI generated child sexual abuse material. One of the core tenets of American values is freedom from the government  deciding what we are allowed to read. By tying federal education funding to restrictions on certain books and educational materials, H.R. 7661 pressures schools to remove titles that discuss identity, history, and lived experiences simply because some politicians find them controversial. Reading builds empathy, critical thinking, and civic understanding. Once the government begins deciding which viewpoints are acceptable, we risk losing the principles of democracy this country was founded on.