LGBTQ+ Themed Books Remain Most Likely Targets of Censorship in US Schools and Libraries

A new report released on Monday has revealed that books with LGBTQ+ themes remain the most likely targets of bans or attempted bans at public schools and libraries across the United States. This comes as legislators in Florida and other states consider restrictions on even the mention of being gay in classrooms.

The report found that Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir “Gender Queer” was the most “challenged” book of 2022, the second consecutive year it has topped the list. Other books facing similar trials include George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” Mike Curato’s “Flamer,” Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and Alex Gino’s “George.”

The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has been tracking book challenges since 1990. According to the OIF, a challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. The OIF reported that in 2020, there were 566 challenges reported to them.

“We are deeply concerned about the increasing number of challenges to books with LGBTQ+ themes,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, deputy director of the OIF. “These challenges are part of a larger trend of censorship that seeks to limit access to information and ideas.”

Amanda Darrow of the Utah Pride Center said that these challenges are “a direct attack on the rights of LGBTQ+ people to exist and be seen.” She added that “it is important to recognize that this is not just about books, but about the right of LGBTQ+ people to exist in the world.”