User:Rosebecker1/Asha's Mums

Asha’s Mums is a children’s book written in 1990 by Michele Paulse and Rosamund Elwin and illustrated by Dawn Lee focusing on the topic of same-sex parents (Esposito article). The book has had a mixed critical reception.Due to the subject matter, the book has been extremely controversial, leading to a legal case in British Columbia over an attempt to ban the book.

Plot Summary
This story is based on the protagonist, Asha, and her struggle explaining to her teacher and friends that she has two mothers, as part of the process of gaining permission to go on a school trip. The book begins when Asha's teacher, Ms. Samuels, sees Asha's mothers' names on the permission form and assumes it has been filled out incorrectly. Ms. Samules wonders which one is Asha’s mother, and she struggles to understand the possibility of Asha having two moms. In one scene, a worried Asha confides in her mothers, who agree to talk to the teacher face to face to sort matters out. In the meantime, Asha informs her classmates about different types of families. The story concludes with Asha being granted permission to go on the school trip, and her classmates and teachers having learned about different family structures.

Reception
Asha’s Mums has been received by the public in a variety of ways, as some see it as being poorly written while others appreciate the content. In a piece written by Elizabeth MacCallum, she explains that “Elwin and Paulse teach sexual politics and don't even know how to concoct a believable plot.” (MacCallum). Liam Beveridge introduces the term “moral panic” to describe the response of the people who dislike the book and disagree with the publishing of LGBTQ+. “Moral panic” is an anxious feeling that comes about when people see someone or something as a risk to an already established norm (Beveridge). To him, this term acts as a reasoning for those who disagree with the publishing of LGBTQ+ children’s books (Beveridge). However, in a different article, Tracy Scott states, “That Asha is black and working-class is a reminder that gay people and families cross all economic and racial lines. We deserve to be in the school curriculum, and our children - all of them - deserve education, not prejudice and ignorance” (Tracy Scott).

Controversy
A notable controversy occurred in 1997, a legal case referred to as Chamberlain vs. Surrey School District (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum). It all began when a school teacher by the name of James Chamberlain, who identifies as gay and who taught in the Surrey School District, attempted to have three books approved by the school board (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum). The list consisted of Asha’s Mums; One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dads, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine; and Belinda’s Bouquet by Lesléa Newman (B.C. Board Upholds Ban on Gay-Themed Books). These children’s books all included the topic of same-sex parents, depicting them in a positive way (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum). The school board decided on April 24, 1997, with a vote of 4-2, that the books would not be approved (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum). More specifically, Asha’s Mums was denied by the board by a vote of 5-2  (B.C. Board Upholds Ban on Gay-Themed Books).

The school board explained that the books were banned due to religious reasons, avoiding any conflict with families (Surrey school board perverts the law’s intent). The decision made by the board was backed by a Protestant and Catholic group that held very conservative beliefs. The more progressive organizations did not support the ruling (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum).

In December of 1998, the case was taken to the British Columbia Supreme Court where the book ban was overturned as Chamberlain argued that the school board used religion in an ill-suited fashion and that it disregarded the B.C. School Act (B.C. Board Upholds Ban on Gay-Themed Books). This decision was urged by Justice Saunders (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum).

Later, in 2000, the Court of Appeal overturned the decision made by the Supreme Court in order to respect the freedom for parents to have more control over their childrens’ education, including religion (B.C. Board Upholds Ban on Gay-Themed Books).

Finally in 2002, the Supreme Court of Canada concluded that the school board had gone against the School Act by banning the books (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum). A year after this occurred, another meeting was held by the board where they still would not allow the use of the books within the district. The reason for the disapproval of Asha’s Mums was that it had grammatical and spelling errors (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum).

Analysis of Controversy
In her analysis of controversies over LGBTQ+ literature like Asha’s Mums, Jennifer Espositio explains the prevalence of such debates during the 1990s. The idea of the “Rainbow Curriculum” was suggested in 1992 by Joseph Fernandez, which included a list of books highlighting gay and lesbian topics. This action caused an uproar from religious groups and individuals, causing the curriculum to be shot down. Additionally, conservative parents began revolting and protesting by burning books that included LGBTQ+ themes (Esposito). In the Chamberlain vs. Surrey School District case, one of the more pressing issues that involved the public was whether or not religious beliefs should play a role in situations such as this (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum). Typically a more private matter, religion played a large role in many of the court rulings (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum). It brought to light the opposing perspectives of more progressive groups, arguing that religion should be kept separate from public matters, and the conservative groups stating that that view is inherently anti-religious (Culture, Religion, and Curriculum).