We have a porn problem in our culture, and it can start with exposing kids to pervasively vulgar and sexually explicit books, comic books, and graphic novels.

Yet two bills proposed by legislators this session would force libraries across Connecticut to adopt policies that restrict challenges to sexually explicit materials aimed at children (SB1271, HB7014). Proponents claim the mantle of protecting “Huckleberry Finn” from “book banning” when they are really implementing “1984.” A closer look at the bills reveals an authoritarian attempt to intimidate parents and eliminate a transparent, locally controlled process.

Right now, in Connecticut, no parent can remove a book from the library. According to the American Library Association, in all of 2024, only 17 books were even challenged in Connecticut – a tiny fraction of a percent in a state with over 1,000 libraries holding millions of books.

But with these bills, one librarian can exempt large categories of books from challenge (HB7014 lines 49-66; SB1271 lines 36, 42, 62, 65) and even prevent a challenge by a board of education (SB1271(1)(1), (3), (4); HB7014(1)(d)). They also exclude most of the community from making a challenge by virtue of their childless status or whether someone else has already challenged the book, even if it was years ago (SB1271 lines 14, 15, 17, 79, 84; HB 7014(1)(4)). This is unfair, discriminatory, and antidemocratic.

The legislation would also give librarians gratuitous legal immunity (SB1271 section 1(f), 2(f)) while creating a way for them to sue parents and students for “emotional distress” (SB1271 section 1(g), 2(g)). Librarians should be learning from parents, instead of getting rattled when challenged over sexually explicit materials aimed at kids, which they chose to place in the school library.

Why are concerned parents being targeted for prosecution when some librarians have been caught watching child pornography, even in the library? The latest case of a child librarian being charged for child pornography in Connecticut was as recent as August 2024.

“Dive deeper with your finger or a butt plug! Just make sure any objects you put up there have a flared base; otherwise, your hungry heinie can gobble it up,” advises Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human, a sexually explicit and graphically illustrated book, found in some of Connecticut’s school libraries. “I’ve never seen these in the library” claims Sen. Bob Duff. But has he looked? A quick review of the website takebacktheclassroom.com, which lists many vulgar and sexually explicit books in Connecticut school libraries, with excerpts, would educate Senator Duff about what concerned parents already know confronts their children in the local school library.

Senator Duff claims these bills “create a process.” But one does not need a law to create a process. And the proposed new processes mandated by the bills are unfair.

Setting aside whether you think a teen should be instructed to “pay for your porn,” shouldn’t all parents and members of the community be allowed to object? The bills permit exclusion of books from challenge based on the opinion of only one librarian. The librarians could classify “Let’s Talk About It” as “sexual health” material (HB7014 lines 61-63) or “appropriate” (SB1271 lines 36, 42-46, 62, 65-66) and exempt it from any book challenge by a community member or parent (HB7014 lines 49-50; SB1271 lines 36-37, 42-43).

It is time for concerned parents and all those who share those concerns to step up and petition their legislators to oppose these two extremist and radical bills, SB1271 and HB7014.

Brian Gedicks lives in West Hartford.