This blog post is by Gabby Doyle, Senior Manager of State Advocacy with The Trevor Project, a Unite Against Book Bans partner.
In 2024, 58 bills containing curriculum censorship efforts such as book bans were introduced nationwide. While it may be increasingly well understood that these initiatives aim to create classrooms and libraries that prevent young people from reading and learning about diverse identities and histories, the less visible — but more dangerous —implications of these bills are often overlooked.
These censorship efforts often directly attack LGBTQ+-inclusive books and curriculums, despite the reality that learning about LGBTQ+ people or issues at school has been associated with significantly lower odds of suicide risk among LGBTQ+ students.
The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, offering 24/7 crisis services that connect highly trained counselors with LGBTQ+ youth whenever they need support. Our research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ young people with access to safe, inclusive schools and affirming teachers and school staff have lower odds of considering or attempting suicide. 66% of LGBTQ+ youth, including 80% of transgender and nonbinary youth, feel angry about policies that will ban books in school libraries that discuss LGBTQ+ topics. Nearly half of LGBTQ+ youth, including 54% of trans youth, also felt sad about these book bans.
Making schools and school materials inclusive of LGBTQ+ students isn’t just a good thing to do; it can provide a life-saving sense of belonging for young people. LGBTQ+ young people are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but rather they are placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society. This includes stigma and discrimination they may face at school. Inclusive and affirming school environments also benefit all students, not just those who identify as LGBTQ+. Inclusive school policies help address bullying and create a more positive environment for every student, no matter how they identify.
For these reasons and more, we urge lawmakers and school officials to create policies that affirm library materials that include LGBTQ+ stories, authors, and histories as one of many practices to create a safe and affirming space for LGBTQ+ young people.
If you are thinking about harming yourself, get immediate crisis support at thetrevorproject.org/get-help/. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S via text, chat, or phone. The Trevor Project is 100% confidential and 100% free.
