Key takeaways:
- The School Board of Lake County and Florida education officials asked a federal judge to dismiss a First Amendment lawsuit brought by students and the authors of “And Tango Makes Three” in June.
- Age restrictions on the book have been lifted following a Florida Department of Education memo that said the new law only applied to certain materials.
- The reversal of the decision to restrict access to “And Tango Makes Three” is a victory for LGBTQ rights advocates, and the book is now available to students in Lake County schools.
A central Florida school district has reversed its decision to restrict access to a popular children’s book about a male penguin couple hatching a chick. The decision comes months after the book was restricted due to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.
The School Board of Lake County and Florida education officials last week asked a federal judge to dismiss a First Amendment lawsuit brought by students and the authors of “And Tango Makes Three” in June. The lawsuit is now moot, as age restrictions on the book have been lifted following a Florida Department of Education memo that said the new law only applied to certain materials.
The book, which is based on a true story, tells the story of two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo who form a family and hatch an egg. It has been a popular choice for elementary school libraries since its publication in 2005, but was restricted in Lake County schools in April due to the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
The law, which was passed in 2019, prohibits the discussion of LGBTQ issues in public schools. It was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other advocacy groups, who argued that it violated students’ First Amendment rights.
The reversal of the decision to restrict access to “And Tango Makes Three” is a victory for LGBTQ rights advocates. The book is now available to students in Lake County schools, and its message of acceptance and inclusion is one that should be shared with all children.
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