An AI rendering of Alberta teachers
Grok
Like the rest of Canada, Alberta faces a serious issue with pornography in school libraries, and Premier Danielle Smith is right to remove it, despite opposition from some LGBTQ+ activist administrators, librarians, and teachers who’ve taken it upon themselves to expose children to adult sexual themes without parental consent.
Those who object are burned at the social justice stake—canceled and branded bigots. Yet, the images and themes in Alberta school library books, as displayed by Smith in a recent press conference, are undeniably pornographic.
Revealing most of them here would be illegal. Images below are edited.
In Canada, showing or providing pornography to children can lead to criminal charges under the Criminal Code of Canada, with provisions related to child sexual exploitation, obscenity, or corrupting morals:
Child Pornography Offences (Section 163.1): It is illegal to distribute, possess, or access child pornography, defined as visual material depicting individuals under 19 engaged in explicit sexual activity or material where the dominant characteristic is the depiction of sexual organs or activity for a sexual purpose. Distributing such material to a child can lead to charges with penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment.
Corrupting Morals (Section 163): Distributing or exposing obscene material to a minor, including content with undue exploitative sexual content, can result in penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment.
Luring a Child (Section 172.1): If providing pornography is part of an attempt to facilitate a sexual offense or exploitation (e.g., grooming), it may fall under child luring laws, with penalties of up to seven years for communicating with a person under 19 for such purposes.
Endangering a Child’s Morals: Offering pornography to a child may also violate provisions related to endangering a child’s well-being or morals, depending on the context.
Convictions for these offences carry severe consequences, including imprisonment, fines, mandatory registration as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA), and restrictions on contact with minors.
In July, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides issued a ministerial order requiring all school divisions to review and remove materials containing explicit sexual content by October 1. This action followed reports from parents about graphic imagery accessible to young children in school libraries.
The Government of Alberta is being unfairly criticized by some members of the Alberta NDP and some education staff for taking a stand.
Administrators, librarians, and complicit teachers who allow such materials should face criminal charges. Complicit labour unions should be disbanded.
The issue of sexually explicit books in school libraries has been a topic of contention across Canada, not limited to Alberta. Concerns have surfaced in multiple provinces, driven by parental complaints, advocacy groups, and political responses, though the extent and handling of the issue vary by region.
An edited slide presented by the Government of Alberta in a recent press conference.