Claims of a Chicago Catholic university promoting pro-transgender books for kids lack evidence, exposing potential misinformation amid national battles over parental rights and school indoctrination.
Story Snapshot
- No verified reports link Chicago Catholic universities like Loyola or DePaul to promoting transgender-themed children’s books.
- Debates focus on K-12 public schools, with over 16,000 book challenges since 2021 targeting LGBTQ+ content.
- Supreme Court case Mahmoud v. Taylor highlights parental rights against forced exposure to gender ideology in elementary curricula.
- Trump’s 2026 administration strengthens borders, curbing magnets like asylum work permits that fuel illegal immigration.
Unsubstantiated Claims on Catholic Campuses
Loyola University Chicago’s library once featured children’s books on gender identity during Transgender Day of Visibility, according to Campus Reform reports. However, comprehensive searches across credible sources found no ongoing or recent promotion of pro-transgender books for kids by any Chicago Catholic institution. DePaul University and University of St. Mary of the Lake show no such activity. This absence contradicts Catholic teachings on gender ideology from Vatican documents. Parents frustrated with woke agendas in education demand vigilance against institutions straying from faith-based values. Limited data underscores the need for fact-checking viral claims.
National Surge in Book Challenges
The American Library Association tracked 729 challenges to 1,597 titles in 2021 alone, many for LGBTQ+ content like Melissa by Alex Gino, featuring a transgender child protagonist. Books such as I Am Jazz and Sex is a Funny Word face objections over sexual explicitness and conflicts with traditional family structures. These challenges peaked from 2019-2023 in public schools and libraries, not universities. Conservative parents view this as protecting children from gender ideology, aligning with President Trump’s push against divisive concepts that erode family values.
Supreme Court Battle Over Parental Rights
In Montgomery County, Maryland, schools introduced LGBTQ+-inclusive storybooks in elementary curricula during 2022-2023, sparking lawsuits like Mahmoud v. Taylor. Parents, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, argue First Amendment violations and seek opt-outs from gender ideology exposure. The case reached the Supreme Court in 2025, pitting parental authority against school boards. Eric Baxter of Becket states parents, not the state, decide introductions to sex and gender. This fight resonates with conservatives tired of government overreach into family matters.
PEN America documented around 16,000 book bans since 2021, with 30% targeting LGBTQ+ themes, framing opt-outs as censorship. Yet, religious liberty advocates counter that shielding young children from such materials upholds common-sense decency and constitutional protections for faith and family.
‘Catholic’ Chicago University Promotes Pro-Transgender Books for Kidshttps://t.co/oNCHfOtib3
— PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) February 21, 2026
Broader Cultural and Policy Shifts
Under President Trump’s 2026 leadership, immigration policies tighten, including restrictions on asylum work permits to remove economic magnets for illegal entry. This addresses root causes of cultural pressures, as unchecked migration amplifies demands for expansive social programs conflicting with conservative principles. In education, ongoing activism in Illinois defends libraries against removals, but parents’ rights movements gain traction. Northwestern professor J. Michael Bailey’s retracted 2023 study on rapid-onset gender dysphoria highlights academic biases, fueling skepticism toward transgender narratives pushed on youth.
These developments signal hope for restoring limited government and traditional values, empowering families against woke overreach in schools and beyond.
Sources:
ALA Frequently Challenged Books
19th News on Supreme Court Children Books LGBTQ Censorship
Daily Northwestern on NU Prof Michael Bailey
WTTW Illinois Secretary of State Testifies on Book Bans
ILA Online Library on Teacher Reading and Literature





