Books about LGBTQ people were among the most challenged books, subject to ban attempts, in the U.S.

 

The American Library Association (ALA) has released its list of the 10 most challenged books of 2023, and seven of the 10 were challenged, that is, subject to ban attempts, at least in part for LGBTQ content. Several of them are by or about people of color.

“In looking at the titles of the most challenged books from last year, it’s obvious that the pressure groups are targeting books about LGBTQIA+ people and people of color,” ALA President Emily Drabinski said. “At ALA, we are fighting for the freedom to choose what you want to read. Shining a light on the harmful workings of these pressure groups is one of the actions we must take to protect our right to read,” she added.

The top 10 list, released Monday during National Library Week, consists of these books:

• Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe; reasons: LGBTQ content, claimed to be sexually explicit.
• All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson; reasons: LGBTQ content, claimed to be sexually explicit.
• This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson; reasons: LGBTQIA content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit.
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQ content, rape, drugs, profanity.
• Flamer by Mike Curato; reasons: LGBTQ content, claimed to be sexually explicit.
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison; reasons: rape, incest, claimed to be sexually explicit, equity, diversity, and inclusion content.
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs, rape, LGBTQ content.
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity.
• Let’s Talk About It by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, sex education, LGBTQ content.
• Sold by Patricia McCormick; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, rape.

The fight to protect access to books comes amid a book banning boom, with an alarming increase in attempts to censor books in K-12 schools, universities and public libraries. Many of these efforts seek to pull books with LGBTQ characters or themes and are part of a broader, Republican-led movement to chisel away at the rights and status of LGBTQ Americans.

Each attempt to ban a book represents a direct attack on every person’s right to freely choose what books to read and what ideas to explore, and to suppress the voices of LGBTQ community.