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Preschool Removes Book About Child Attending Pride Event Featuring Men In ‘Leather Fetish Gear’

(Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

Sarah Wilder Social Issues Reporter
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Genesis Pre-School in the United Kingdom has withdrawn a book about a child who goes to a Pride parade with her grandfather after a father withdrew his daughter in protest.

Trustees of the preschool removed the book, which was labeled as suitable for ages four and older, after agreeing certain images in it were not “appropriate,” BBC reported. Trustees apologized to parent Will Taylor and said the book would be removed and a “comprehensive audit” of all other books would be conducted, according to an email viewed by the outlet.

“They called me offensive for even raising the issue. I was having none of that because there’s nothing offensive about raising a safeguarding concern,” Taylor said. (RELATED: Daycare Promotes ‘Sexual Exploration Rooms’ Where Kids Can Masturbate, Play Sexual Games)

Some images from the book show a man in leather fetish gear marching at the Pride event.

“They did not use the word ‘bigot’. But from their use of the word ‘offensive’ and their constant focus on the rest of the book, which was about celebration of Pride, they seemed to be heavily implying I was some kind of transphobe or homophobe,” Taylor said of the school’s initial response to his complaints.

Andy Train, chair of the Hull and LGBT+ Forum, said the illustrations were “a bit stereotypical,” and he preferred they had chosen, “an illustration showing a family waving a trans flag.”

“Some people do attend Pride events wearing that kind of clothing but that tends to be abroad. The weather here rarely lends itself to dressing in a revealing way.”