'Don't say gay': US states removing Shakespeare's work from school libraries for 'sexual content'

Shakespeare’s plays are being excluded from the syllabus of several schools in Florida due to concerns about violating a contentious new law that prohibits books containing sexual content. In the approaching academic year, the Hillsborough County public schools will only assign portions of Shakespeare’s works to students, as stated by district officials in their communication with the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday. While the officials clarified that the adjustment in teaching guides is a response to “revised state teaching standards and a new set of state exams encompassing a wide range of literary works and writing styles,” Tanya Arja, the district’s spokesperson, acknowledged that the decision was also influenced by the recently enacted law known as Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Law. Critically dubbed as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law by its opponents, this regulation came into effect last month. It mandates schools to withhold access to reading materials that are alleged to contain explicit content or depictions of sexual acts, pending the resolution of any objections from parents or the state authorities. Expressing his viewpoint to the Times on Tuesday, Joseph Cool, an educator at Gaither High, remarked, “I believe the rest of the country – and indeed, the world – must be finding our situation amusing.” He highlighted the absurdity of removing Shakespeare’s works entirely due to concerns that the relationship portrayed in Romeo and Juliet might be perceived as exploiting minors. Given the ambiguity surrounding the definition of objectionable content, educational institutions have taken a preemptive approach by removing certain books from their libraries. Trained “media specialists” are scrutinizing these contents to identify any elements that might potentially clash with the law. When a book is flagged by these specialists, a panel at the district level is mandated to assess it and make the final verdict on its presence within the library. Furthermore, parents have the option to register complaints about any book on the school district’s official website. Such complaints necessitate the district to withdraw the specified title within a five-day period, keeping it off the library shelves until a comprehensive review is conducted. Recent investigation by local CBS affiliate WJAX unveiled that Duval County had already taken down 19 titles from its library shelves ahead of the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Similarly, St. Johns County removed 31 books, while Clay County eliminated a staggering 115 titles from its collection.