Some Texas residents are angry about a proposed garden sculpture that would be featured in a children's art and literacy festival next year.
On Tuesday, several residents spoke out against the sculpture that would be placed in the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden, a park in Abilene, because of concerns that it supports LGBTQ+ values, KTAB-TV reported.
The sculpture is based on characters from the Kitty-Corn book series and shows a kitten and a unicorn. In one book, The Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn, a kitten wants to become a unicorn, and this brought concerns from parents, the TV station reported.
"It's grooming them to be prepared to think, Hey, I don't have to be who I was created to be. I can be whoever I want to be," said Tammy Fogle, who attended Tuesday's visual arts jury meeting, according to KTAB.
Newsweek reached out to the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden via email and through its website for comment.
The debate in Abilene over the proposed sculpture comes as conservatives across the nation have called for certain books to be banned over concerns that they contain explicit and sexual content. In January, the Madison County School Board in Virginia banned 21 books because of alleged adult content. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has signed legislation requiring teachers to remove books from their classrooms if they do not come from the state's approved reading list. Books that feature adult content are banned under the bill.
Similarly, in March, a spokesperson for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, said nine books were banned because they included LGBTQ+ and sexual content,
Other visual arts jury meeting attendees in Abilene criticized the proposed sculpture, according to KTAB. Jenna Sprot said, "It has a clear message saying that you can be something you cannot be. It's a transgender-affirming book."
Another attendee, Molly Harless, said, "I read it and immediately I received a message that it was about gender identity, and it didn't even seem like a hidden agenda."
However, other attendees spoke about the sculpture differently. Pam Tippen expressed support for the artwork, saying that the children's book is focused on friendship, KTAB reported.
"I think you can make anything say anything that your mind wants to go there, and I did not get that," Donna Albus, a member of the visual arts jury, said during the meeting, according to the TV station.
Because of the disagreements during the meeting, the visual arts jury decided to pause the discussion and allow further study of the proposed sculpture. If approved, the sculpture would be displayed during the 2024 Children of Arts and Literacy Festival.
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