1. United States
2. Ala.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose H.R. 7661, the so-called Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, which was introduced on February 24. This bill would prohibit federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 from supporting any program or activity for children under 18 that includes broadly defined "sexually oriented material." While proponents claim this protects children, the legislation actually undermines parental authority by giving politicians sweeping power to restrict what books and stories are available in our libraries. As a constituent, I believe parents should guide their own children's reading choices, not lawmakers in Washington. Library materials are currently selected by trained literacy professionals who understand child development and community needs. These professionals work to help young people become lifelong readers, and parents retain the right to make decisions about what their own children read. H.R. 7661 would replace this balanced approach with government censorship that limits options for all families, regardless of individual values and preferences. The American Library Association, which has served information professionals for 150 years, has strongly opposed this bill. ALA President Sam Helmick stated that H.R. 7661 is not fundamentally about protecting children, but rather about giving politicians broad authority to restrict whose stories are allowed in libraries. The bill is widely seen as targeting LGBTQ+ stories and content, effectively erasing certain voices and experiences from library shelves. Instead of restricting access, I encourage you to support the Right to Read Act, which would strengthen well-staffed and well-resourced school libraries, support evidence-based literacy instruction, and protect the dedicated professionals who help young people discover books. When families are trusted, educators are supported, and the freedom to read is protected, young people thrive. I respectfully ask that you oppose H.R. 7661 and stand up for parental choice and local control over library materials.