A children’s book focusing on a puppy and LGBTQ themes was a point of contention between a Maryland school district lawyer and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch on Tuesday.
The issue surrounds a case brought by parents who want the freedom to opt out of having their children read such books in their public schools, Fox News reported on Wednesday.
The recent exchange was over the book titled “Pride Puppy!” by Robin Stevenson. The book is about a child who attends a pride parade with family members, but the family dog gets lost during the event, according to the publisher’s website.
In its review of the book, Publisher’s Weekly said, “This engaging introduction to Pride parades for the youngest readers successfully testifies to the warmth and power of queer community.”
During their recent exchange, which was recorded on audio, Gorsuch asked Montgomery County Public Schools attorney Alan Schoenfeld about the book, which was previously in the district’s pre-kindergarten curriculum.
Schoenfeld said the book was no longer in the curriculum, to which Gorsuch replied, “That’s the one where they’re supposed to look for the leather and things — and bondage — things like that.”
Schoenfeld then said, “It’s not bondage. It’s a woman in a leather…”
Gorsuch quickly asked, “Sex worker?” to which the attorney said, “No. That’s not correct. No.” Gorsuch then asked if it was a drag queen to which Schoenfeld replied it was a woman wearing a leather jacket and a word in the book is drag queen:
Alan Schoenfeld: "Pride Puppy was the book that was used for the pre-kindergarten curriculum. That's no longer in the curriculum."
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 22, 2025
Justice Gorsuch: "That's the one where they're supposed to look for the leather and things - bondage - - things like that.
Schoenfeld: "It's not… pic.twitter.com/gQa86JaF0y
Photos of the book show colorful images of children and adults carrying gay pride flags accompanied by different breeds of dogs.
The book also appears to have a “Search and Find Word List” that includes terms such as leather, platform shoes, proposal, and drag queen:
🚨 THREAD: SCOTUS battles for parental rights in Mahmoud v. Taylor! Maryland parents fight Montgomery County’s forced LGBT curriculum, pushing books like "Pride Puppy" on kids as young as 5 years old. This case exposes the woke agenda in schools. 🧵 1/4 pic.twitter.com/633P9wZIl8
— Woke War Room (@WokeWarRoom) April 23, 2025
Breitbart News reported that the “Supreme Court appeared on Tuesday to lean in favor of the group of religious parents suing the Maryland school board that refused to allow their K-5 children to opt out of LGBTQ curriculum.”
Breitbart News’s Katherine Hamilton continued:
In 2022, the Montgomery County Board of Education announced new “inclusivity” books for K-5 students and took away parental notice and opt-outs for story books that discuss topics like “gender” transitions, pride parades, and preferred pronouns. Some of the reading materials include The Pride Puppy, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, and Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope.
In 2023, a federal court upheld a lower court decision siding with Maryland’s largest school district, and the mix of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish parents appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court agreed to take up the case in January.
Social media users reacted to the audio clip of Gorsuch and Schoenfeld, one person writing, “This is where we are, America! Today is a sad, sad day.”
“Why do ‘drag queens’ never want to read to the elderly or disabled? Why is it ALWAYS KIDS?!?” another user commented.
