In a chilling win for the anti-LGBTQ+ movement, a Massachusetts judge has ruled in favor of a father who sued his child’s school to keep his five-year-old from being exposed to books that acknowledge queer people even exist.
The father, identified as Alan L., claims that any mention of LGBTQ+ identities in his son’s kindergarten curriculum violates his family’s Christian beliefs. The school, Joseph Estabrook Elementary, had included inclusive picture books like Families, Families, Families! and All Are Welcome—titles that simply reflect the diverse makeup of modern families. No sex, no indoctrination, no politics, just queer people existing.
But that alone was too much.
Despite it being unclear whether the child ever even encountered the books, Alan L. sued the school district anyway, backed by right-wing legal organizations like the Massachusetts Family Institute. And now, thanks to a new precedent set by the Supreme Court’s June 2025 Mahmoud v. Taylor ruling, a federal judge has granted the father a preliminary injunction. The school is now required to shield the child from any exposure to LGBTQ+ content and provide “alternative instruction.”
The ruing opens the door for more parents to legally erase queer visibility from public education, effectively giving individuals veto power over inclusive content that reflects real-world diversity. The judge, F. Dennis Saylor IV, a George W. Bush appointee, framed it as a “religious rights” issue.
Lexington Public Schools pushed back, stating the materials aren’t part of any “LGBTQ+-focused curriculum” but simply offer windows into different lived experiences. Attorneys for the district rightly pointed out the absurdity of requiring educators to pre-screen materials for the potential offense of showing two men eating dinner together because they might be assumed to be gay.
This ruling will not only burden teachers and schools but sends a dangerous message to LGBTQ+ students and families that their existence is something others should be protected from.
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At a time when queer and trans youth are under attack across the country, from book bans to bathroom bans to health care restrictions, this case is another warning shot. The backlash is real, it’s organized, and it’s targeting the youngest among us.