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Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
The 9 LGBTQ+ children's books targeted in high court ruling upending education policy
Picture books are not usually the stuff of Supreme Court rulings. But on Friday, a majority of justices ruled that parents have a right to opt their children out of lessons that offend their religious beliefs — bringing the colorful pages of books like 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding' and 'Pride Puppy' into the staid public record of the nation's highest court. The ruling resulted from a lawsuit brought by parents in Montgomery County, Md., who sued for the right to remove their children from lessons where LGBTQ+ storybooks would be read aloud in elementary school classes from kindergarten through 5th grade. The books were part of an effort in the district to represent LGBTQ+ families in the English language arts curriculum. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that schools must 'notify them in advance' when one of the disputed storybooks would be used in their child's class, so that they could have their children temporarily removed. The court's three liberals dissented. As part of the the decisions, briefings and petitions in the case, the justices and lawyers for the parents described in detail the story lines of nine picture books that were part of Montgomery County's new curriculum. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor even reproduced one, 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding,' in its entirety. Here are the nine books that were the subject of the case: Pride PuppyAuthor: Robin Stevenson Illustrator: Julie McLaughlin 'Pride Puppy,' a rhyming alphabet book for very young children, depicts a little girl who loses her dog during a joyful visit to a Pride parade. The story, which is available as a board book, invites readers to spot items starting with each of the letters of the alphabet, including apple, baseball and clouds — as well as items more specific to a Pride parade. Lawyers representing the parents said in their brief that the 'invites students barely old enough to tie their own shoes to search for images of 'underwear,' 'leather,' 'lip ring,' '[drag] king' and '[drag] queen,' and 'Marsha P. Johnson,' a controversial LGBTQ activist and sex worker.' The 'leather' in question refers to a mother's jacket, and the 'underwear' to a pair of green briefs worn over tights by an older child as part of a colorful outfit. The Montgomery County Public Schools stopped teaching 'Pride Puppy' in the midst of the legal battle. Love, VioletAuthor: Charlotte Sullivan WildIllustrator: Charlene Chua The story describes a little girl named Violet with a crush on another girl in her class named Mira, who 'had a leaping laugh' and 'made Violet's heart skip.' But every time Mira tries to talk to her, Violet gets shy and quiet. On Valentine's Day, Violet makes Mira a special valentine. As Violet gathers the courage to give it to her, the valentine ends up trampled in the snow. But Mira loves it anyway and also has a special gift for Violet — a locket with a violet inside. At the end of the book, the two girls go on an adventure together. Lawyers for the parents describe 'Love, Violet' as a book about 'two young girls and their same-sex playground romance.' They wrote in that 'teachers are encouraged to have a 'think aloud' moment to ask students how it feels when they don't just 'like' but 'like like' someone.' Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named PenelopeAuthor: Jodie Patterson Illustrator: Charnelle Pinkney Barlow In 'Born Ready,' 5-year-old Penelope was born a girl but is certain they are a boy. 'I love you, Mama, but I don't want to be you. I want to be Papa. I don't want tomorrow to come because tomorrow I'll look like you. Please help me, Mama. Help me be a boy,' Penelope tells their mom. 'We will make a plan to tell everyone we know,' Penelope's mom tells them, and they throw a big party to celebrate. In her dissent, Sotomayor notes, 'When Penelope's brother expresses skepticism, his mother says, 'Not everything needs to make sense. This is about love.' ' In their opening brief, lawyers for the families said that 'teachers are told to instruct students that, at birth, people 'guess about our gender,' but 'we know ourselves best.' ' Prince and Knight Author: Daniel Haack Illustrator: Stevie Lewis 'Prince and Knight' is a story about a prince whose parents want him to find a bride, but instead he falls in love with a knight. Together, they fight off a dragon. When the prince falls from a great height, his knight rescues him on horseback. When the king and queen find out of their love, they 'were overwhelmed with joy. 'We have finally found someone who is perfect for our boy!' ' A great wedding is held, and 'the prince and his shining knight would live happily ever after.' 'The book Prince & Knight clearly conveys the message that same-sex marriage should be accepted by all as a cause for celebration,' said Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the majority opinion, a concerning message for Americans whose religion tells them that same-sex marriage is wrong. 'For young children, to whom this and the other storybooks are targeted, such celebration is liable to be processed as having moral connotations,' Alito wrote. 'If this same-sex marriage makes everyone happy and leads to joyous celebration by all, doesn't that mean it is in every respect a good thing?' Uncle Bobby's WeddingAuthor: Sarah S. Brannen Illustrator: Lucia Soto In 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding,' a little girl named Chloe learns that her beloved uncle is engaged to his partner, a man named Jamie. At first, she worries that the marriage will change her close bond with her uncle. But she soon embraces the celebration and the joy of getting another uncle through the union. In the majority opinion, Alito wrote that the book sends children the message that 'two people can get married, regardless of whether they are of the same or the opposite sex, so long as they 'love each other.' ' That viewpoint is 'directly contrary to the religious principles that the parents in this case wish to instill in their children.' Parents ability to 'present a different moral message' to their children, he said, 'is undermined when the exact opposite message is positively reinforced in the public school classroom at a very young age.' In her dissent, Sotomayor includes the entire book, writing that, 'Because the majority selectively excerpts the book in order to rewrite its story.' The majority's analysis, she writes, 'reveals its failure to accept and account for a fundamental truth: LGBTQ people exist. They are part of virtually every community and workplace of any appreciable size. Eliminating books depicting LGBTQ individuals as happily accepted by their families will not eliminate student exposure to that concept.' Jacob's Room to ChooseAuthor: Sarah Hoffman and Ian HoffmanIllustrator: Chris Case 'Jacob's Room to Choose' is a follow-up to 'Jacob's New Dress,' a picture book listed as one of the American Library Assn.'s top 100 banned books of the last decade. Jacob wears a dress, and when he tries to use the boy's bathroom, two little boys 'stared at Jacob standing in the doorway. Jacob knew what that look meant. He turned and ran out.' The same thing happens to his friend Sophie, who presents as a boy and is chased out of the girl's bathroom. Their teacher encourages the whole class to rethink what gender really means. The class decides everyone should be able to use the bathroom that makes them feel comfortable, and makes new, inclusive signs to hang on the bathroom doors. 'After relabeling the bathroom doors to welcome multiple genders, the children parade with placards that proclaim 'Bathrooms Are For Every Bunny' and '[choose] the bathroom that is comfy,' ' lawyers for the parents wrote. IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All Author: Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council and Carolyn Choi Illustrator: Ashley Seil Smith 'IntersectionAllies,' written by three sociologists, is a story about characters with different identities, including one who uses a wheelchair, and another, Kate, who identifies as transgender. One page shows Kate in a gender-neutral bathroom, saying, 'My friends defend my choices and place. A bathroom, like all rooms, should be a safe space.' In the majority opinion, Alito describes a discussion guide included with the book that he said asserts: 'When we are born, our gender is often decided for us based on our sex . . . . But at any point in our lives, we can choose to identify with one gender, multiple genders, or neither gender.' The guide asks readers, 'What pronouns fit you best?' Alito wrote. What Are Your Words?: A Book About Pronouns Author: Katherine LockeIllustrator: Anne Passchier 'What Are Your Words' is a picture book about a child named Ari whose pronouns are 'like the weather. They change depending on how I feel. And that's ok, because they're my words.' Ari's Uncle Lior (who uses they/them pronouns) is coming to visit, and Ari is struggling to decide which words describe them. 'The child spends the day agonizing over the right pronouns,' the lawyers for the parents wrote. At the end, while watching fireworks, Ari says, 'My words finally found me! They and them feel warm and snug to me.' My RainbowAuthor: DeShanna Neal and Trinity NealIllustrator: Art Twink 'My Rainbow' tells the true story of a Black child with autism who self-identifies as a transgender girl. Trinity wants long hair, just like her doll, but has trouble growing it out. 'The mother decides that her child knows best and sews him a rainbow-colored wig,' lawyers for the parents wrote. The Montgomery County Public Schools also stopped teaching 'My Rainbow' during the course of the lawsuit. This article is part of The Times' early childhood education initiative, focusing on the learning and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, go to
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘KPop Demon Hunters' Director Thought About A Live-Action Version
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS - When they aren't selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use ... More their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise. ©2025 Netflix Since its release last week, Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters has reached No. 1 in 26 countries and the Top 10 in 93 countries. Critics and fans have praised the animated feature, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score. The soundtrack has also generated buzz, hitting No. 1 on the iTunes Top Album and K-Pop Charts, as well as the Apple Music Pop and K-Pop Album Charts. The film centers on Huntrix, a K-pop girl group who are secretly demon hunters sworn to protect their fans from supernatural threats. One of the hunters, Rumi (Arden Cho), has demon blood running in her veins, as we find out that her Hunter mother had a relationship with her Demon father. The circumstances of their relationship are never disclosed. Celine, a former Hunter and Rumi's guardian, avoided talking about Rumi's parentage, disregarding her demon side. Rumi – and the audience – are never given answers about her past. Though Netflix hasn't announced if there will be a sequel, Kang says there's more to the story they wanted to tell – especially when it came to Rumi's heritage as part Hunter and part Demon, and the reason behind Celine's aversion towards demons. KPOP DEMON HUNTERS - Celine (voice by YUNJIN KIM). ©2025 Netflix 'There are different versions [of Rumi's story],' says Kang. Ultimately, we felt like that whole part of the story didn't need to be told here. It was a tricky thing with the story. There are so many questions that are left unanswered.' Some scenes were cut that answered these questions, but it didn't feel like they belonged, as they changed the overall story. There's so much they wanted to add – Rumi's parentage, Celine's background, and the mythology behind Derpy the tiger and Sussie the six-eyed bird. '[Derpy and Sussie] live between these two worlds,' Kang reveals. It's not a Demon. It's not a Hunter, obviously. So, what is it? There's a lot of mysteries and question marks that even I have thought about what that could be. We're definitely thinking about that stuff.' KPOP DEMON HUNTERS - (Right) Rumi (voice by ARDEN CHO). ©2025 Netflix The KPop Demon Hunters creatives, crew, and actors all expressed their interest in a sequel. Kang has many more ideas for her characters and the story. After finishing her film, she did think about a live-action version of the animated film. After watching the new live-action How To Train Your Dragon movie, she mentioned that director Dean DeBlois, who directed the original animated films, did a wonderful job. She thought what it would be like to have a live-action KPop Demon Hunters. She understands that comes with its own challenges. 'I really enjoyed [How To Train Your Dragon],' says Kang. I was sitting in the theater thinking, I wonder if anybody would want to see a live-action KPop Demon Hunters. What would that be like? How would that go?' KPOP DEMON HUNTERS - When they aren't selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use ... More their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise. ©2025 Netflix For now, everyone seems to be waiting for Netflix's decision to greenlight a second film. Until then, Kang is enjoying the response to the film and the music. She's so proud to see a Korean story resonate with everyone. 'I had so many crew members [and people] tell me how much this movie meant to them – and they weren't even Korean,' says Kang. 'They loved learning about our culture and being part of something different. [People have told me], 'I'm watching more K-dramas,' and 'I'm going to Korea,' or 'I'm taking K-pop dance lessons.' It was just so amazing as a director to see people love this movie and fall in love with the culture. I really appreciated the studios for taking a risk on something that is a full Asian cast, too. I couldn't have believed we could make this. It's very surreal.' KPop Demon Hunters is streaming now on Netflix.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Mira Kapoor Compared This Drool-Worthy Pasta To Caramel Popcorn, Here's Why
Mira Rajput's glimpses of daily life are a delight to watch. But it is her food updates that we eagerly watch out for. And the star never disappoints. On Wednesday, she uploaded a bunch of pictures on Instagram offering a peek into her special moments. She compared them to 'sweet bits of caramel popcorn found in the mix of a salty tub.' One snap that couldn't evade our foodie senses featured a yummy-looking pasta that was being cooked in a vessel. It looked to be a saucy and buttery tomato basil fettuccine pasta. The Italian dish was topped with juicy, chopped tomatoes and basil leaves with a generous garnishing of oregano and chilli flakes. Take a look: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mira Rajput Kapoor (@ Previously, Mira Kapoor embarked on a culinary journey on her trip to a picturesque hill station. Her Instagram 'photo dump' was a treasure trove of delectable feasts. Mira, being a true-blue foodie, treated herself to a plate of barfi. In her caption, she revealed that she bought the sugary treats from a local sweet shop. Next, Mira dropped an image of a leftover burger, probably eaten by her kids, Misha and Zain. She enjoyed the snack with a scoop of potato salad, a guacamole spread and ketchup. A delicious mango cake made it to the album as well. The lip-smacking dessert was garnished with vibrant mango wedges arranged beautifully in the shape of flowers. Creamy butterscotch frosting on the side, dusted with chocolate sprinkles, added to the decadence. The cake was decorated with a single-lit candle and a topper with the word 'Congratulations' written on it. The caption read, 'The week gone by (pink heart emoji). Swipe till the end for my favourite: Hills that refresh with sleep and sweets. 2. The sweets; every hill station has one mithai shop with the best barfi. 3. Blooms of joy. 4. Yes, I finished the leftovers. 5. Celebrating Missy's win. 6. My pride. 7. Mumbai street art that could not be missed.' Click here to know more.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
KPop Demon Hunters tops Netflix charts in 41 countries with action, folklore and star-studded voice cast
The animated action-musical KPop Demon Hunters has become a global sensation, topping Netflix's movie charts in 41 countries just days after its release. According to streaming analytics platform FlixPatrol, the film claimed the No. 1 spot in major markets including South Korea, the United States, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Portugal as of June 24. The movie debuted globally on June 20. *KPop Demon Hunters* follows the story of Huntrix, a fictional K-pop girl group composed of members Rumi, Mira, and Joy, who lead double lives as secret demon hunters when they're not performing on stage. The film combines fast-paced action with musical elements, blending modern K-pop with fantasy and traditional Korean folklore. The film attracted early buzz with a star-studded voice cast, including Lee Byung-hun and Ahn Hyo-seop. The theme song, performed by TWICE members Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung, boosted its appeal among global K-pop fans. Behind the scenes, the film was directed by Chris Appelhans (Hotel Transylvania) and Korean Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, and produced by Sony Pictures Animation. Kang, who was born in Seoul and raised in Toronto, emphasized her intent to weave Korean culture into the film's design and narrative. She cited early influences from first-generation K-pop stars like Seo Taiji and H.O.T. Visually, the film is celebrated for showcasing uniquely Korean aesthetics. Iconic landmarks such as N Seoul Tower and traditional giwajip rooftops appear prominently, alongside folklore-inspired figures like the jeoseungsaja, a traditional grim reaper. With its mix of cultural authenticity and international appeal, KPop Demon Hunters has quickly earned acclaim and chart-topping success on Netflix across diverse global audiences.
The Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald
Municipalities to be lauded for trailblazing projects
Associate professor at UKZN's school of built environment and development studies, Sithembiso Myeni, told TimesLIVE 51 projects were submitted from 20 municipalities. 'Among the objectives of Mira is to recognise and appreciate current innovation lighthouse initiatives implemented by municipalities to improve the delivery of basic services. This objective is attainable through category three of the Mira, which is directed towards recognition of trailblazing projects,' he said. 'The Western Cape is the province represented by the highest number of municipalities with trailblazing projects, adding up to 21 in total.' He said some of the innovations equipped employees and citizens with digital skills which presents 'a good initiative, especially considering that we are moving towards, if not already in, an era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)". He said municipalities were investing in recycling infrastructure and aware of the need to strengthen water provision systems. 'The nature of entrance and the number of submissions received reflects the long desire from the municipalities to showcase their innovative initiatives. This has proved the importance and uniqueness of the Mira in terms of encouraging the uptake of innovation in municipalities and encouraging municipal leadership and officials to adopt innovation and technology in the delivery of basic services.' At the inaugural awards event in 2023, Myeni was recognised as the 'champion' of the Municipal Innovation Maturity Index (Mimi), a tool used to assess and benchmark municipal innovation. That year uMhlathuze local municipality was recognised for using drone technology to tackle water loss and improve water supply planning. The initiative responded to growing water demand driven by population growth, with illegal and unbilled connections identified as major contributors to losses. TimesLIVE
