Rockford Sun

Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey said he supports Machesney Park school officials who banned a pornographic book from the school, stating that if he is elected governor, he will do everything he can to stop these books from being assigned to children by "activist teachers."

“I stand with the Machesney Park school leaders who are protecting school children from politically motivated pornography being pushed by left-wing activist groups determined to sexualize them,” Bailey said in a statement. 
“The people pushing pornographic books in our schools are doing it deliberately. We need more school leaders and school boards like the one in Machesney Park to take a stand for children. It's time school officials did their jobs rather than shrugging their shoulders and acting surprised when alerted to the contents of these books, which even include illustrations of children in sex acts. Those parents who want to seek out pornographic material for their children to read are welcome to order it online or go to a library, but inappropriate material has no place in our classrooms.”

Bailey has been endorsed by Illinois Family Action, Illinois Right to Life, Illinois Federation for Right to Life and Lake County Right to Life.

A noted conservative Republican, Bailey is a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment candidate who has noted his commitment to prioritizing Illinois families.

If elected, Bailey has noted his insistence to fight for parental rights, lower taxes and real spending reform.

Harlem High School removed the infamous book "Gender Queer" from the school’s collection. 

"It’s porn," Lynette Hofman said, according to WIFR. "We're talking incest, molestation and pedophilia."  

The book, which includes drawings of graphic sex scenes, has gotten a lot of press. Parents throughout the country have denounced author Maia Kobabe's illustrations as being excessively sexual and inappropriate for children, the Rockford Sun reported.

One of the meeting attendees read a section from the book aloud.

"This is from 'Gender Queer.' ‘I got a new strap-on harness today,’" said one public commenter. "‘I can’t wait to put it on you.’"

The school oversees more than 1,500 students at its Machesney Park campus, according to U.S. News.

Bailey has a significant lead in the polls on Jesse Sullivan, McHenry County businessman Gary Rabine, Max Solomon and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf.

The primary election will be held on June 28.

Bailey’s nearest opponent is Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin –– who has been criticized for his Democrat voting history and stances. Irvin has been the beneficiary of $45 million pumped into his campaign from Chicago hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin.

Bailey’s campaign has deemed Irvin a “handpicked puppet of the political elites who lacks the courage to do what’s right,” the Chicago Sun Times reported.