censorship Archives - Page 2 of 12

Greenville County Hughes Main Library. Photo credit: Antony-22, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

A South Carolina Library Board Restricts All Children’s Books Depicting Trans or Gender Diverse Children to Adult Section

February 29, 2024

South Carolina’s Greenville County library board voted unanimously this week to move all children’s books with trans characters or others that show gender “in ways inconsistent with the minor’s biological sex” out of the children’s section—but they adopted an amendment so books with “tomboy” characters could stay. As a “tomboy” myself, I find this appalling rather than comforting.

Book Bans Up 33% Between Last Two School Years

January 12, 2024

The past two school years have seen “a mounting crisis of book bans,” according to a report released recently from PEN America. While the record number of bans is worrying in itself, just as concerning are the trends in how the bans are spreading.

Jennifer Finney Boylan. Photo credit: Dan Haar

Jennifer Finney Boylan Named President of PEN America

December 12, 2023

This week in “queer parents being awesome” is the news that author, professor, transgender advocate, and parent Jennifer Finney Boylan has been named president and chair of PEN America, the century-old organization dedicated to defending writers and free expression.

Banned Books Week: It’s Not Just About the Books

October 5, 2023

This week marks Banned Books Week, the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) annual event highlighting the value of the freedom to read and drawing attention to the harms of censorship. With record numbers of bans across the country, the need for such awareness is greater than ever. But I’m also here to remind us: It’s about more than just the books.

Pride and Less Prejudice - Banned Together

Help “Banned Together” Auction Send LGBTQ-Inclusive Books to Schools

October 4, 2023

Non-profit Pride and Less Prejudice, which has donated over 10,000 LGBTQ-inclusive picture books to elementary school classrooms since 2019, is holding a virtual auction through this weekend so they can send 1,200 more. Check out some of the amazing offerings!

Two-Thirds of Parents in New Study Think Book Bans Are “A Waste of Time”

September 28, 2023

A new study looks at parents’ perceptions of public libraries and the current issues they face, including book bans and how people feel about children’s books that touch on sometimes sensitive topics: LGBTQ+ characters, race/racism, social justice, and sexual education.

Florida School District Institutes Sweeping Ban on LGBTQ-Inclusive Books

September 27, 2023

A Florida school district in July ordered its librarians to remove all books with LGBTQ characters or themes from classrooms and libraries. While the district later asserted that such books are still allowed in high school libraries, there is evidence that many have been removed from them as well.

LGBTQ Parenting Roundup

September 20, 2023

The parenting news keeps coming! Here are some stories I haven’t covered separately. This edition is full of international news (and a few U.S. items), so read on and catch up with what’s happening around the world.

Top 13 Most Challenged Books, 2022. From data provided by the American Library Association's State of America’s Libraries 2023.

LGBTQIA+ Titles Dominate Top 10 Most Challenged Books List in Year of Record Censorship Attempts

April 23, 2023

A memoir about growing up nonbinary and asexual has once again topped the American Library Association’s annual list of the most challenged books—and new data shows that in a year of record censorship attempts, the “vast majority” targeted books with LGBTQIA+ and/or BIPOC characters.

Florida Expands “Don’t Say Gay/LGBTQ” to All Grades

April 20, 2023

The Florida Board of Education has agreed to expand the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay/LGBTQ” law to all K-12 grades.