A York Pennsylvania school district bans Girls Who Code book series

[themaguffin]

A school district in Pennsylvania has banned the Girls Who Code book series for young readers, according to an index of banned books compiled by the free expression non-profit Pen America.

The books are four of more than 1,500 unique book titles that have been banned by schools across the country after conservative pushes to censor books. According to a report released by Pen America in April, 138 school districts across 32 states have banned books from their classrooms and school libraries.

A recent update to Pen America’s banned book index said the Central York school district last year banned the books The Friendship Code, Team BFF: Race to the Finish!, Lights, Music, Code! and Spotlight on Coding Club!. The school district has over 400 banned titles on the index.

[link:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/26/pennsylvania-book-ban-girls-who-code|]

[catbyte]

1. Yeah, we can't teach young girls subversive things like "bravery, not perfection."

Assholes.

[Walleye]

2. York, Pennsylvania has always been a right wing enclave

[skylucy]

3. Please someone tell me the reason the Girls Who Code book series is

being banned?!!!!! WTF?

[Botany]

6. Because of this:

^_^ means happiness or a hug or smiley face ... I looked it up.

[haele]

12. One of the girls in the book wears a hajib and another girl isn't white?

That's enough to ban the book?
Or is it just teaching girls that it's okay to be quirky, smart and friends with people outside the immediate family circle?
Probably just because some 'Christian' nationalist reactionary decided that anything more complex than the Dick and Jane primers is too radical for ther precious, delicate girl children destined to be sold to some worthy guy (for family profit) their fathers or brothers decide for them.

Jerks

[meadowlander]

9. I'd guess because there are gay characters.

[Cobalt Violet]

15. the cover art has girls of color on it.

https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Who-Code-Team-Finish/dp/1338571176

That's enough of a reason for these racist book banners.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

4. What does 'code' refer to in this context?

To me, it means computer code, but I can't imagine that's the context here ... or is it?

[Gaugamela]

7. Yep. They don't want girls to break traditional gender roles, apparently.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

11. OMFG ... you have got to be kidding me ...

That's friggin insane.

[themaguffin]

8. Yes, it's the computer code series of books.

[Eugene]

17. From the OP link:

The Girls Who Code series features a group of girls who become friends in their school’s coding club. The series is in partnership with Girls Who Code, a non-profit that runs computer coding clubs and programming in schools for girls.

The titles in question:
• The Friendship Code
• Team BFF: Race to the Finish!
• Lights, Music, Code!
• Spotlight on Coding Club!

[Gaugamela]

5. From a different site:

So… coding? What’s wrong with that? The only thing I can think of is that Christofascist ideologies contain within them the patriarchal need to keep women at home and dependent on men? Cool

https://lithub.com/is-this-the-weirdest-american-book-banning-yet/

So basically they want to ban anything that portrays a contemporary lifestyle. With that kind of rationale they’ll be banning 90% of the library before long.

[mainer]

10. "Moms for Liberty" behind the ban

They want to keep their daughters stupid and subservient.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

13. But ... Moms for Liberty is really just a proxy for white men, correct?

Where I sit, there simply can be no other explanation.

We all know who are The Source of All Evil In The Universe.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

14. It took decades for the GOP to subvert the Judiciary; education is getting closer to being so.

Roe, Roe, Roe your vote
against theocracy!
Republicans revoke your rights
and kill democracy!

THESE are the races that will determine control of the House of Representatives:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217192221

Stick 'em up for a blue wave: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217078977

[AZSkiffyGeek]

16. It's always fucking York

My family is from there and I generally love the area, but man, it’s SO regressive. Live was right.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

18. Freaking love that album ...

Pillar of Davidson in particular, but the whole thing is great. Used to play I Alone in my (mostly) cover band around when it came out. Also jammed Lightning Crashes at practices but forget if we ever actually played it live.

Jerry Harrison took 'em to another level.