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 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.
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.
A recent filing in an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case about LGBTQ books in the classroom shows that the plaintiffs are continuing to misrepresent the books they are targeting. One author shared her thoughts with me on how her book is being twisted.
The latest Top 10 Most Challenged Books list from the American Library Association shows ongoing censorship of books with LGBTQIA+ characters and themes and that discuss race, racism, inclusivity, equity, and social justice—while a drop in censorship numbers from the previous year actually hides troubling trends.
Nonprofit Pride and Less Prejudice has donated over 16,000 LGBTQ-inclusive picture books to elementary classrooms since 2019—and if their 2024 virtual auction meets its goal, they will be able to send 1,600 more. The auction runs today through Sunday (September 26 to 29), so check out some of the amazing celebrity items you can bid on!
All of the children’s books in my Database of LGBTQ Family Books have been effectively banned by sweeping censorship laws in some states. Many titles have also been banned by name. I’m therefore marking Banned Books Week with a look at the scope and impact of book bans—and what we can do to stop them.
Today’s two new LGBTQ-inclusive middle-grade novels are each very different, but both have themes of challenging injustice: In one, a group of students creatively fight a book ban at their school; in the other, a nonbinary and a disabled protagonist duo have a sword-swinging fantasy adventure to save their realm.
Seven of the American Library Association’s annual list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books were challenged for their LGBTQIA+ content—and Gender Queer, a memoir about growing up nonbinary and asexual, topped the list for the third year in a row.
Last year saw a record 4,240 book titles challenged in schools and libraries, according to the American Library Association. This year looks set to be similarly bad, with censorship triggering firings and protest at an Alabama library—and a Virginia school reading program halted after complaints about a book that includes a nonbinary tree.
