Penn State professors are signing a petition to voice their disagreement with the McGraw-Hill textbook company after alterations were made to health books distributed in Texas high schools.

The health textbooks receiving criticism define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Some members of the Penn State community are offended by the influential textbook company's decision to get involved in current social debates.

Sam Richards, senior lecturer in sociology, said he was going to use a McGraw-Hill textbook, but decided not to after signing the petition.

"I very strongly oppose allowing politicized interest groups to determine what is put into textbooks, whether it's on the right or the left," he said.

Allison Subasic, director of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender student development, said she signed the petition to show McGraw-Hill textbooks that she disapproves of their decision to adjust material to conservative or religious pressures.

"I hope that we will send our message economically," she said.

The petition was created by Sean Massey, assistant professor of human development at SUNY Binghamton, who wanted to give colleagues the opportunity to show their disapproval of McGraw-Hill's decision.

Currently, there are two similar petitions available; one pledges the boycott of the textbooks with 263 signatures, while the other pledges the disagreement with the text changes and has 235 signatures. Most of the signatures are names of professors or staff associated with universities.

The issue originated when conservative pressure from the Texas Board of Education caused McGraw-Hill texts to clarify the "ambiguity of marriage."

When questioned, the textbook company said the information should be consistent with the Texas law, which says marriage can only take place between a man and a woman.

Massey said he thinks the idea is "ridiculous" because Texas students should be educated beyond their own state's borders.

He said that although the alterations are minor, they have larger implications.

"There are explicit definitions and implicit definitions, but marriage itself is where the current debate is in our society," Massey said. "This action has significant political implications."

Students are being taught the book's lessons according to a law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, which has yet to be challenged by the Supreme Court, he said.