Please do something to protect First Amendment rights and stop the book bans in our schools. Removing books from school shelves that are often the stories of LGBTQ+* and BIPOC** authors implies that young people cannot be exposed to these communities. It criminalizes the identities of the people writing these books and the young people who share these identities.
Books that contain topics that are often uncomfortable to read and difficult to imagine are at the root of these challenges. By censoring these stories, you are suppressing young people’s chances to be affirmed in their uncomfortable and difficult life experiences. You disregard young people’s ability to see themselves reflected in the stories they read. You deny them the chance to build empathy for experiences outside their own.
When 86% of LGBTQ+ students report being harassed or assaulted at school and 2 in 5 LGBTQ+ students of color report being bullied or harassed based on their ethnicity, this should serve as a call to action to keep these stories accessible for all.
Furthermore, by banning books, you are suppressing young people’s ability to engage in complex discourse, out of fear of “inappropriateness” or “offensiveness.” This teaches young people that the way to handle these topics is to avoid them. Often, young people cannot avoid these topics because they live these experiences. And for those who do not share the experiences of these stories, the safest way for them to engage with these topics is through literature.
I am writing to urge your support as we strive to protect all children’s and teens’ rights to read and the rights and livelihoods of the authors affected by this challenge. The protection of free expression and the right for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC young people to see themselves represented in their libraries is of the utmost importance. I ask that you consider this when such challenges arise. Therefore, I urge you to ensure no books belong on a “banned” list.
* Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and all emerging identities
** Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
