Who's in a Family?
 | |
| Author | Robert Skutch |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Laura Nienhaus |
| Publisher | Tricycle Press |
Publication date | 1997 |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 1-883672-66-X |
| OCLC | 30979383 |
Who's in a Family? is a children's book which depicts a variety of non-traditional families, including interracial, single-parent, and families with gay and lesbian partners as parents. It intentionally emphasizes the normalcy of different family arrangements.[1]
Controversy
The book was at the center of a controversy in the state of Massachusetts in the United States when a number of parents objected to their children being exposed to it in school, claiming that it was intended to promote a "homosexual agenda".[2] Parents David and Tonia Parker filed suit against the Lexington school district to have their children exempted from reading the book in class. The Parkers were ultimately unsuccessful, with the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals finally dismissing their lawsuit, noting that "the mere fact that a child is exposed on occasion in public school to a concept offensive to a parent’s religious belief does not inhibit the parent from instructing the child differently".[3] The US Supreme Court declined to hear the case.[4]
References
- ↑ Doiron, Ray; Asselin, Marlene (2005). Literacy, libraries and learning. Pembroke Publishers Limited. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-55138-196-1.
- ↑ Llana, Sara Miller (Feb 15, 2006). "New flash point in sex ed: gay issues". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
- ↑ Brayton, Ed (6 February 2008). "Parents’ religious beliefs can’t exempt students from school teaching materials, U.S. court says". Michigan Messenger. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
- ↑ Murphy, Ian (Oct 7, 2008). "Public school lawsuit runs out of federal appeals". Milford Daily News. Retrieved 25 August 2010.