This blog post is by Katie Blair, Vice President of Advocacy for PFLAG National, a Unite Against Book Bans partner.
As an LGBTQ+ person or parent, it is not always easy to find books that reflect and explain your experience. Yet, education, both informal and formal, is a bridge to understanding, empathy, and eliminating fears of the unknown. This is why the LGBTQ+ people, parents, and allies of PFLAG are among the first to show up when there are efforts to ban books and education in our communities.
In just the first half of last school year (July 1-Dec. 31, 2023), there were more than 4,000 book bans in schools according to PEN America, and the ALA confirms the most frequently targeted titles are by and about BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people. These actions to ban inclusive books and education aren’t happening by coincidence. Rather, they are part of a coordinated effort to erode trust in public institutions like schools and libraries, and a main tactic is to spread false and misleading information about vulnerable populations like LGBTQ+ people.
Fortunately, PFLAG members and supporters across the country see through these old, tired efforts to cause harm, and they rise up for the freedom to read and to learn. Since 1987, safe, welcoming and inclusive schools and accurate, LGBTQ+ inclusive curricula have been integral components of PFLAG’s work. PFLAG has also committed to being a partner in the fight against censorship and book bans through the Banned Books Week coalition and Unite Against Book Bans.
In states like Florida, where the power to remove challenged books from schools lies with politicians, chapters like PFLAG Gainesville make sure there is always an ally present at book ban review meetings. Book bans have also spurred federal Title IX complaints, like the one led by PFLAG Southern Pines and Public School Advocates against Moore County Schools in North Carolina. In places where nearby state lines determine whether your family has freedom to read, chapters like PFLAG Edwardsville, Ill. answer questions to help neighbors Read With Love.
And these kinds of examples are happening everywhere. You see, love for an LGBTQ+ family member drives the people of PFLAG to ensure we all have the freedom to read and the freedom to learn—and this election, love votes!
While the 2024/25 school year has only just begun, efforts to ban or outright remove LGBTQ+ inclusive books and curricula from schools continue to escalate. Whether you are a parent of a student or you love someone who is, there is a chance that someone you love is impacted by these book ban efforts, and they need your love to vote. This Banned Books Week (Sept. 22-28), make a commitment to defending freedom to read. Check your voter registration, make a plan, and make sure your love votes. Visit PFLAG.org/LoveVotes.
