TAMPA, Fla. — Tia Bess carried a dog-eared copy of the graphic novel “Gender Queer” in her purse as she stood in line to hear Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speak Friday morning.
Bess, a Clay County mom of three, came to the inaugural Moms for Liberty summit at the Tampa Marriott Water Street to commiserate with hundreds of others from around the nation about their concerns that sexually explicit books, lessons on race and gender identity, and other things they find objectionable have infiltrated public schools.
She, like other moms and grandmothers at the event, also wanted to hear ideas about how to make change. She quickly connected with Michelle Beavers, a Brevard County mom who has fought to remove dozens of titles from that district’s school libraries.
