Flags aren’t usually the most exciting topic, and many people don’t pay much attention to them. However, a Texas school district recently found itself in a controversy over the Virginia state flag. The issue? It depicts a breast. Perceiving this as inappropriate, Lamar CISD removed a section about Virginia from its online course for 3rd to 5th graders. The district stood by the decision, noting that a new rule bans images or illustrations of frontal nudity in materials for elementary school libraries.
The decision sparked a heated debate, with many people finding it ridiculous. One of the most vocal critics is the Texas Freedom to Read Project. The organization argues that House Bill 900 does not explicitly require schools to ban books containing nudity.
They contend that nudity is not inherently sexual, using David Shannon’s beloved children’s picture book No, David! as an example. They claim that children don’t view nudity, like butts, as sexual but instead find it humorous. “What message are we sending if the depiction of a Roman goddess’s breast on Virginia’s state flag is considered inappropriate for students?” the organization argued.
The Texas Freedom to Read Project cautioned that the removal of the Virginia state flag might signal the start of a larger trend of censorship in the state. “Today, it’s the Virginia state flag. Tomorrow, will it be books with historical photos or depictions of Holocaust survivors? Breastfeeding mothers? The Paper Bag Princess? Art history books featuring the statue of David or The Birth of Venus?” they said.
The Texas Freedom to Read Project isn’t the only group protesting the removal of the Virginia state flag. Many Reddit users also found the decision unreasonable, with some even joking that it made them proud to be Virginians. “Good. Never been more proud to be a Virginian,” one Redditor commented.
One user pointed out that if the Texas school district is already alarmed by the Virginia state flag, they would likely be horrified by various artwork from ancient times, such as Greek and Roman art. Some users praised the design of the Virginia state flag and its powerful motto, with one remarking, “Their motto, Sic Semper Tyrannis, might also get you arrested if you say it around Trump or Musk.”
Another Redditor pointed out that this type of ban isn’t exactly new in America. One user wrote, “This already happened in 2002 in DC! The Justice Department under John Ashcroft spent $8,000 on drapes to cover up two partially nude statues so he wouldn’t be photographed in front of them. One statue, the Spirit of Justice, has a toga that fully reveals one of her breasts. The drapes stayed up until 2005, when the new Attorney General had them removed.”
