An Update on Book Bans in the US
If you follow me on Twitter or if you remember my National Book Award acceptance speech, you’ll know that for several months now, right-wing efforts to remove books about people of color and LGBTQ people from schools and libraries (including public libraries) have been ramping up across the U.S. These efforts include book challenges (in which a parent or community member challenges a book’s inclusion in a school or library), outright bans (when books are removed from schools and libraries), and state legislation that aims to prevent teachers from teaching about racism and gender.
My books have been affected by these efforts in a few ways. In the Keller Independent School District in Texas, Last Night at the Telegraph Club was challenged by a parent. The reasons for their challenge remain unknown, because they failed to appear at the book challenge committee meeting when discussion of LNATTC was scheduled, and the committee “unanimously agreed to keep the book in its current location.” (Not sure what that location is.)
But Keller is only one of many Texas school districts engaged in book banning. Last fall, Texas state representative Matt Krause (a Republican) asked the Texas Education Agency to investigate whether 850 books included “material that might make students feel discomfort” due to race or sex. In response, several Texas school districts began to remove hundreds of books from their school libraries in order to comply with Krause’s request—actions that often went against those school districts’ own policies regarding book challenges.
I have two books on Krause’s list: Ash and A Line in the Dark. I’m not sure if either of these titles have ultimately been removed from Texas libraries, but in at least one case, Ash joined dozens of other LGBTQ YA books that were carted out of a library in the North East ISD to be investigated.
A cart full of books that were being removed from a North East ISD library in December 2021. Source: NBC News
While a few books that are repeatedly challenged do generate enough media interest to lead to increased sales, the vast majority of challenged books don’t benefit. Book challenges have a chilling effect on teachers and librarians, who may seek to avoid controversy and personal harassment by quietly removing these books from their schools. That cart full of LGBTQ YA books includes novels that simply depict queer teens experiencing first crushes and having adventures. Removing them sends the message that merely existing as a queer teen is wrong.
Meanwhile in Florida, House Bill 1557, officially known as the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, seeks to ban teachers from speaking about sexual orienation or gender identity in schools. This “Don’t Say Gay” bill just passed the Florida House and is now moving to the Florida Senate for a vote; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (Republican) has signaled his support for this law should it pass. If it does, Florida’s LGBTQ students will be under distinct threat in their schools.
The Florida law is not alone. As of Feb. 25, 2022, 195 anti-LGBTQ bills have been proposed in dozens of states—including New York and Vermont. These laws attempt to outlaw health care for trans people; ban trans youth from sports and bathroom access; and prohibit LGBTQ, gender, and race-inclusive curriculum in schools.
Make no mistake: these laws and book bans are trying to turn back the clock on our culture by enforcing white supremacy, pushing LGBTQ people back in the closet or worse, and rolling back women’s rights. These laws and book bans seek to prevent young people from learning about the world by denying them access to books that teach them about reality.
Why is all this happening right now? Well, 2022 is an election year. These efforts, which are often bankrolled and organized by conservative organizations such as the Heritage Foundation and Moms for Liberty, aim to whip up support among Republicans during primary season, which is about to begin.
I live in a blue state in a liberal community, but last week I realized that doesn’t mean that my community is exempt from these tactics. A resident in Waltham, MA, only about five miles from my house, recently challenged two LGBTQ books for “explicit content.” The community rallied in support of those books (This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson and Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe), and the school committee rejected the challenge.
This news reminded me yet again that it’s so important for all of us, no matter where we are, to educate ourselves about our local school boards. As they say, all politics are local, and school boards’ decisions have far-reaching consequences because they impact the minds—and lives—of young people. I urge you to take fifteen minutes and look up your own school board and election schedule, so that you can be ready to vote in your community.
If it seems weird that I’m writing this in March, I just looked up my own local school board, and their terms end in April, when my town has a local election. Many school boards hold elections in April and November, so check yours to be ready.
Over the last few years, it’s become very clear that authoritarianism is on the rise around the world, and democracy is declining—even in the U.S. These book bans and anti-LGBTQ laws are the local expression of this trend. If you support the liberation of all people and the freedom to be human, it’s important that we express that support at the ballot box.
More Resources
Kelly Jensen has been reporting on book challenges across the country every week at Book Riot. Here’s her most recent roundup, which includes this form where you can share the details about your local school board.
GLAAD’s media guide about reporting on book challenges includes links to data and references about censorship.
Here is PEN America’s guide to educational gag orders.