The Trump administration, not yet two months old, is making clear it wants a better reading of the First Amendment’s protection for religious freedom. And it’s taking concrete steps to make that happen.
In October 2022, the school board in Montgomery County, Maryland, approved certain “LGBTQ-inclusive” books for use in in the public school curriculum for children, even in pre-kindergarten classrooms. One book, for example, depicts a family whose puppy is lost at an “LGBTQ-pride parade.” Each page focuses on a letter of alphabet, asking the children to look for items such as a drag king or drag queen, leather, or underwear.
Teachers, administrators, and parents almost immediately objected to the effect and age-appropriateness of these books. As one court would put it, the books’ “rollout was contentious and many caregivers sought—for religious and secular…
