1. United States
2. Ga.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose H.R. 7661, the "Stop the Sexualization of Children Act," introduced by Representative Mary Miller with 17 co-sponsors. This legislation would ban books containing LGBTQ+ content from public schools nationwide by prohibiting federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 from supporting any program or activity that includes what the bill vaguely defines as "sexually oriented material." The bill's definition is dangerously broad, specifically targeting content addressing "gender dysphoria or transgenderism" alongside "lewd" and "lascivious" dancing. This intentionally vague language mirrors state-level book bans that have already been challenged in court. Discussion of gender identity is not sexualization, and making diverse books available to students does not sexualize them. These books provide representation and understanding for LGBTQ+ youth and their peers. We have already seen the harmful impact of similar policies at local and state levels. Katy Independent School District in Texas banned over 140 LGBTQ+ books under a policy against "sexually explicit materials" and books about "gender fluidity." Greenville Public Library in South Carolina banned all books for those under 18 with transgender themes, prompting an ACLU lawsuit. Iowa's Senate File 496 and Idaho's House Bill 710 are currently facing legal challenges. These examples demonstrate that such policies do not protect children but rather erase LGBTQ+ people from public life. H.R. 7661 would take these failed local experiments and impose them nationwide, restricting access to books that help young people understand themselves and others. This is not about protecting children from inappropriate content but about removing an entire community's stories and experiences from schools. I urge you to vote against H.R. 7661 and reject this federal overreach that threatens intellectual freedom and the rights of LGBTQ+ students to see themselves reflected in their education.