Angry mothers demanded the banning of a children's book about loving seahorses because they thought it was "too sexy" for elementary schools.
The Williamson County, Tennessee, chapter of Moms For Liberty—a far-right group that is currently fighting against mask-wearing mandates in schools—gathered at a conference to lobby against the illustrated book, Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea.
One of the passages in the book MFL found objectionable, reads:
"They twist their tails together and twirl gently around, changing color until they match. ... The two of them dance until sunset and then she puts her eggs into his pouch."
A mom 4 \u201cLiberty\u201d is upset a textbook teaches how seahorses mate\u2026 yes, seriously. #WilliamsonSchoolBoardpic.twitter.com/e89dDmUC3G— The Tennessee Holler (@The Tennessee Holler) 1624322815
The Daily Beast's Kelly Weill reported that MFL also had a problem with the picture book partly "because it depicted 'mating seahorses with pictures of postions [sic] and discussion of the male carrying the eggs."
Weill continued:
"The Daily Beast reviewed the text in question via a children's storytime YouTube channel. Readers looking for a Kama Sutra of seahorse sex will be disappointed."
"'Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish In The Sea' contains nothing more risqué than watercolor illustrations of two seahorses holding tails or touching bellies (never — heavens — at the same time)."
Here is the YouTube clip of a book reader narrating Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea.
Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Seayoutu.be
The book is one of many tomes MFL struck down as inappropriate for children to read.
The media outlet shared an email they received from a concerned MFL representative, which read:
"Some books should be removed entirely. Some books are objectionable only because of how they are presented via the accompanying teacher's manual."
"Some books would be better suited to a higher grade level due to their age-inappropriate content."
She noted the seahorse book was probably more suitable for eighth-grade readers.
Social media users were flummoxed over MFL's questionable crusade.
You have got to be kidding me. JFC.— WindySR (@WindySR) 1624323669
pic.twitter.com/GmYKDDSLVz— Dude (@Dude) 1624323473
If they are so offended by what's in school books, why don't they just homeschool so they can shelter little Johnny and Mary forever?— DeeDee SMITH \ud83c\udf0a Get vaxxed! (@DeeDee SMITH \ud83c\udf0a Get vaxxed!) 1624324111
She's probably scared her husband might learn something from it?— Anthony Powell (@Anthony Powell) 1624333096
Anti-cancel mob is now cancelling seahorses?!?!?!— Leslie (@Leslie) 1624323343
I guess it\u2019s time for a good old fashion book burnin\u2019Seriously, these people need a hobby.— srmaryelephant (@srmaryelephant) 1624323516
Caught my kid googling \u201cseahorse banging.\u201d I think this chick is onto something big.— Jill is Vaxxing and Relaxing (@Jill is Vaxxing and Relaxing) 1624323398
Liberty is meant ironically— Mr. E (@Mr. E) 1624324132
Maybe she\u2019s just mad that there\u2019s no \u201cQ\u201d in \u201cseahorse\u201d?— JBBrookman (@JBBrookman) 1624328166
The trigger for her.pic.twitter.com/C08IPhHqhU— Vicki Sando (@Vicki Sando) 1624327540
The Volunteer State received some Twitter criticism.
Remind me again why anyone chooses to live in Tennessee?— CassieP (@CassieP) 1624368448
I feel like places like Tennessee, West Virginia, and Mississippi exist to make us Kentuckians feel better about ourselves lol.— Kenneth Rogers (@Kenneth Rogers) 1632584236
The condemnation comes as many far-right groups in the country have voiced their objections to teachings of critical race theory, an advanced theory of systemic racism that has liberals and conservatives butting heads.
Earlier this year, deeply concerned moms—who believe school reading materials about race are biased—banded together to write an 11-page letter of complaint to the state's Board of Education, demanding the Williamson County School district to overhaul their curriculum.
They also asked to ban children's books, like Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington, for being divisive; and The Story of Ruby Bridges, about the first Black child who integrated a Louisiana public school in 1960.
They also criticized the story of Johnny Appleseed as being too "sad and dark," and they suggested lessons about Galileo should be modified for being "too anti-church."
MFL's website describes themselves as a group consisting of parents and grandparents who are "fighting to restore our blessings of Liberty for future generations."
The Huffington Post noted the head of the local chapter of the group leading the charge against the seahorse book has no children in public schools.
