Parents already have opportunities to opt out and provide feedback on curriculum; this bill is a thinly-veiled target on queer and trans students, families, and individuals who deserve representation on their media. Being queer is NOT sexually explicit and Virginia should not capitulate to forces calling for censorship that allows discrimination within its school systems. As a recent high school graduate, I strongly oppose measures to censor queer and LGBTQ+ material in our schools. I found immense value in being able to access books that spoke to my experience during my education, as well as reading books like Toni Morrison’s Beloved that contained sexual content and provided valuable insight to perspectives and communities that were not my own. The passage of this bill will take away this opportunity from future students for reflection and learning in a safe environment like school and whitewash the curriculum until nothing but “approved” texts remain. I believe it is crucial for our schools to represent communities outside of white heterosexuality, as many, MANY students do not fit these labels, and they deserve to see themselves and their stories in the classroom. My high school experience would have been so much less productive, rich, and intellectually stimulating if not for the great teachers who chose books that represented a wide range of people, not to mention I would have been ill-prepared for higher education and all of my experiences in the world.