I did a summer reading list round-up a little while ago and that seemed to go over pretty well, and as I opened my email/RSS/social media this morning, I thought a round-up of the lists coming out about just July books might be a good way to kick off the month. Here we go.
Supreme Court Says Parents Can “Opt Out” Of Positively-Affirming LGBTQ+ Public School Lessons
I’ve been waiting for our own Kelly Jensen’s breakdown of the Mahmoud v. Taylor decision that dropped on Friday, and she did not disappoint. Through a strange quirk, I was walking by the actual Supreme Court building when the Friday decision-drop happened. This has no bearing on anything, but I felt like it was too bizarre a coincidence to omit). The key quote she pulls is as galling as you might expect: “very real threat of undermining the religious beliefs and practices the parents wish to instill.” And what is this very real threat? Affirming portrayals of LGBTQ+ folks in books. Because it gets in the way of their religion’s homophobia.
This is a mundus inversus reading of the old separation of church and state that I felt like I understood pretty well all the way back in 8th grade. Here’s Kelly on why it feels like that:
“It is important to understand that for the religious right, the Establishment Clause is interpreted differently than it is for the general population. Where most read the separation of church and state to mean that religious doctrine cannot be infused in government operations–i.e., public schools cannot require prayer–for the religious right, the Clause is interpreted the opposite. The state cannot impede on where or how their beliefs are applied–i.e., public schools cannot provide positively-affirming lessons on LGBTQ+ people because it counteracts their individual beliefs on the matter.”
A disheartening, bend-back-the-arc-of-justice, moment that will not be undone anytime soon.
Here are the five books of the summer (so far)! They include dystopia, thrillers, romance, and historical fiction. One interesting development is that #5 didn’t show up on any of the previous “Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week” lists in June; it has been in the top ten, but this is the first time it’s cracked the top five. Romance readers especially love a seasonal read, and this summer romance seems to be the pick for 2025.
Read the original article here