In a letter Monday, former President Barack Obama praised librarians for pushing LGBT-themed books to children without mentioning sexually explicit content.

President Obama has criticized a “book ban” across America’s school libraries, stemming from parents’ complaints that their children are being exposed to sexually explicit content. The former president claimed that many books that “shaped his life” have been banned to target LGBTQ, Indigenous and racial minorities.

“Today, some of the books that have shaped my life, and the lives of many others, are being challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas and points of view. It’s no coincidence that they are often written by or feature members of racial, indigenous, and LGBTQ+ communities. However, there have been some unfortunate examples of books by conservative authors, or books containing “provocative” words or scenes, which are subject to removal. In any case, the urge seems to be to remain silent rather than engaging with, countering, learning from, or trying to understand opinions that disagree with them. ”

Today, parts of the book that shaped my life, and the lives of so many others, are challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas and points of view. And librarians are on the front lines, fighting every day to convey the widest possible range of perspectives, opinions and opinions. pic.twitter.com/txhCTfH3Gh

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 17, 2023

He went on to say that it was “ironically” Christians who were calling for a ban on sexually explicit books, and that he was “attacked” by those who did not understand the important role librarians play in society. He added that it is. (Related: Biden laments child porn ban)

“And you do so in a tough political climate that is too often attacked by those who do not understand or are unwilling to understand the vital and uniquely American role you play in the life of this country. are doing,” he said. .

Florida and Virginia have banned sexually explicit books from school libraries after complaints from concerned parents. Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis read a graphic excerpt from a book previously featured in a Florida school library during a March 8 press conference.

One book, entitled “Gender Queer,” showed one girl masturbating and performing oral sex on another. Another book is “flamer‘ tells the story of a gay boy and depicts several explicit sexual interactions. Several books by the poet Rupi Kaul include sentences such as “Masturbation is meditation” and “Look into my eyes when you are risking your life to eat”.

Muslim parents in Dearborn, Michigan, at a public school that released books on gay sex and transgenderism, including books with titles such as “This Book Is Gay” and “Not All Boys Are Blue.” protested. In front of the board of education, which ended up being canceled, the parents held up a placard that read, “‘Homosexuality is a deadly sin’ and ‘Keep dirty books in the closet.'”