FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2025
STATEMENT FROM BRIAN C. JOHNSON, CEO OF EQUALITY ILLINOIS, ON SUPREME COURT DECISION IN MAHMOUD V. TAYLOR
Today’s 6–3 Supreme Court decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor is a dangerous setback to public education in our country. By siding with those who argue that simply acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ+ people in classroom materials violates their religious freedom, the Court runs the risk of wreaking havoc on public education in a society as diverse and pluralistic as ours in the United States.
Our concerns mirror those expressed by Justice Sotomayor in her dissent. First, “[e]xposing students to the ‘message’ that LGBTQ people exist, and that their loved ones may celebrate their marriages and life events” should not create a heightened burden for school districts to shield students from this acknowledgement. LGBTQ+ people exist, our marriages are legal, and our children are an equal part of society. Parents’ objection to these facts should not create a responsibility on the part of school districts to deny the existence of LGBTQ+ people and our families to some students.
Second, where does the Supreme Court standard end? If parents’ religious beliefs oppose interracial marriage, must their children be allowed to opt out of all material acknowledging interracial marriage? If parents’ religious beliefs oppose women working outside the home, must their children be allowed to opt out of all material acknowledging women in the work force? If parents’ religious beliefs oppose contemporary medicine, must children be allowed to opt out of all material covering public health and depictions of medical practitioners? “Given the great diversity of religious beliefs in this country,” Justice Sotomayor writes, “countless interactions that occur every day in public schools might expose children to messages that conflict with a parent’s religious dissenting beliefs. If that is sufficient to trigger strict scrutiny, then little is not.”
Finally, the potential burden this ruling has on the nation’s nearly 100,000 public schools is immense. According to Justice Sotomayor, “The result will be chaos for this Nation’s public schools. Requiring schools to provide advance notice and the chance to opt out of every lesson plan or story time that might implicate a parent’s religious beliefs will impose impossible administrative burdens on schools.” A likely result may be the chilling of any exposure to materials any minority of parents may find religiously objectionable; thereby denying millions of students access to materials that introduce students to the full diversity of Americans.
Let’s be clear: this case was never about protecting students, it was about erasing LGBTQ+ people from the everyday stories that help children learn empathy, respect, and the reality of the diverse world they live in.
We also want to underscore: nothing in this bill changes what Illinois public schools are required to teach.
While the ruling may be narrow in scope focused only on elementary schools and specific forms of instruction, its implications are broad and chilling. This decision will embolden extremists who want to censor LGBTQ+ stories, isolate queer youth, and push our community further into the margins.
At Equality Illinois, we believe that every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and affirmed, in their homes, in their communities, and in their classrooms. We also believe that schools have a responsibility to prepare students to thrive in a diverse world, not shield them from it.
To LGBTQ+ youth and families across Illinois: we see you, we support you, and we are fighting for you. This movement is not going away, and neither are we.
# # #