Finding Hope for LGBTQ Families in the Face of Hypocrisy and Lies
Several recent attempts to shame and deny LGBTQ families and young people reveal a web of hypocrisy and long-standing lies. Where can we find hope?
banned books
Book Ban and School Censorship Bills Advance in Congress
A federal bill that would ban books, activities, and programs that mention transgender people—and potentially all LGBTQ people—from K-12 public schools nationwide has moved ahead in the House and been introduced in the Senate, while two other school censorship bills have also advanced in the House in recent weeks.
LGBTQIA+ Titles Again on Most Challenged Books List Amid Pressure Group and Government Influence
Books with LGBTQIA+ and/or BIPOC representation were again among those most targeted for censorship last year, as book challenges stay near record levels, according to the American Library Association’s latest data. And 92% of all titles challenged were targeted by pressure groups and government officials rather than individuals.
Federal Bill to Ban LGBTQ Books and Programs in Schools Leans on Old Fears
As a queer mom who started my family via assisted reproduction in a doctor’s office, I’m tired of my son being exposed at school to stories of heterosexual families, most of whom were created via sexual intercourse.
New Federal ‘Don’t Say Trans’ and Book Ban Bill Could Have Wide Repercussions
House Republicans have introduced a bill that would ban books, activities, and programs that mention trans people—and potentially all LGBTQ people—from K-12 public schools nationwide.
Banned Books Week: Saving Stories, Saving Children
Today starts Banned Books Week, and a new report from PEN America is blunt about the current wave of book bans in the United States: “Never before has access to so many stories been stolen from so many children.”
Read OUT Loud National Day of Action Aims to Show Support for Queer Kids’ Books and Their Readers
Read OUT Loud, a national day of action in support of queer children’s books and the children who read them, will take place August 2 and 3. Watch part of the 24-hour read aloud on Zoom, sign up to read during the Zoom, or attend in-person events at bookstores and other venues.
The Supreme Court Is Afraid of Queer Joy: Let’s Show Them How Powerful It Is
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision saying that parents have the right to opt out their children before LGBTQ-inclusive books are read in public school classrooms is awful for many reasons. I want to focus here, though, on one that may feel amorphous but that should be at the heart of our response: its attack on queer joy.
“Uncle Bobby’s Wedding”: From a Small-Town Challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding is among the LGBTQ-inclusive picture books in a case being heard today by the U.S. Supreme Court. I was the first journalist to cover the earliest attempt to censor it, in 2008, so I’m reposting my in-depth piece about that, which includes still-relevant insights from the author, editor, and library director.
U.S. Supreme Court LGBTQ Book Case Is About More Than Just Books
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case on April 22 about whether parents have the right to opt out their children before LGBTQ-inclusive books are read in public school classrooms. It’s about more than just books, however, as newly filed amicus briefs show.