Florida judge strikes down state law used to ban books: 'None of these books are obscene'
Judge Carlos Mendoza ruled that Florida's ban on books that "describe sexual conduct" is too broad.
August 15, 2025
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Judge Carlos Mendoza ruled that Florida's ban on books that "describe sexual conduct" is too broad.
Arguments are scheduled next week for Mahmoud v. Taylor, which could further roll back students' rights to information.
In hearing the Mahmoud v. Taylor case, conservatives leaned toward siding with these parents, while liberals wondered what other content parents could opt their kids out of.
As parents now wait until their 30s and 40s to start families, so too are modern grandparents finding themselves making this "career change" later in life -- often well into their 70s, when they may not exactly be in their prime for the job's demands. And thus marks the rise of the gay uncle -- the guy who spoils you rotten, answers all those questions you can't ask your parents, and has you home in time for dinner. But this modern-day guncles phenomenon presents a major question: What exactly is it guncles are supposed to be doing?
Many of the books removed from school libraries or placed on restricted access in Escambia County deal with LGBTQ+ or racial matters.
The bans, which often target LGBTQ-themed books, have gained steam in some of the expected states and others that may be a bit surprising.
Opinion: In Mahmoud v. Taylor, the justices gave bigotry a permission slip and ruled that parents can “opt out” of LGBTQ-inclusive lessons, further diminishing lessons and practices on inclusivity in civic society, argues Darek M. Ciszek.
Gender-affirming care, PrEP, and LGBTQ+ books are all on the docket.
It was a big year for Hollywood coming out stories, even bigger for sports, and for protesting Russia's antigay laws. Let this list of 2013's comings out inspire you.