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The past years in Florida have been a turbulent landscape for book bans with legislation such as HB 1069, HB 1557 – infamously known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill – and HB 1467, known as the "Book Ban/Transparency” bill.
The most recent of these three pieces of legislation, HB 1069, expanded upon the efforts of the “Don’t Say Gay” and “Book Ban/Transparency” bills. HB 1069 prohibits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-8 and provides more provisions on the book removal process in schools.
HB 1069 states that whenever a book is subjected to investigation on pending removal, it must be removed from school libraries while that investigation takes place. This is leading to the mass removal of books in schools in Florida, which is reflected in PEN America’s newest report on book bans from 2023-2024.
PEN America defines book bans as “...Any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished, either temporarily or permanently.”
PEN America started reporting on book bans in 2021, and from 2021-2022 has recorded 15,940 in total. However, from July 2023 to July 2024, PEN America recorded 10,046 instances of book bans across the United States out of the 15,940 recorded in the three years from 2021-2024.
Florida had the highest number of book bans from 2023 to 2024, with 4,561 in total. This can be attributed to Florida legislation regarding book bans, which has spiked the number of book removals in schools.
However, this number may not even be accurate to the number of book bans in Florida. Many lists of banned books in Florida counties are incomplete, and according to a report by the Florida Freedom to Read Project, some libraries preemptively remove books because they fear parental backlash or because other counties have removed books from libraries.
The rising number of book bans in Florida and throughout the U.S. is cause for concern because of how book censorship disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color. In PEN America’s report, it was found that book bans from 2023-2024 include books with people and characters of color (44%) and books with LGBTQ+ people and characters (39%).
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reported similar percentages in the United States in their 2023 report, finding that 47% of book bans compromised novels with LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color.
Book bans have become not just a censorship of information, but a censorship of real people and real identities. Those who argue for book bans, such as groups like Moms for Liberty, often argue that LGBTQ+ books are either sexually explicit or inappropriate, but this argument disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ individuals.
Examples of LGBTQ+ books commonly banned in the U.S. in the past decade include titles such as Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson, Melissa by Alex Gino, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, and many more.
This list also includes kids' titles, which are specifically written with students in elementary and middle school in mind. One of the most prominent and recent examples includes And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, an illustrated picture book for young children.
The book is about two male penguins with a family, inspired by penguins at the Central Park Zoo. It has been the subject of multiple controversies and was especially targeted after the initial passage of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida.
Other iconic series targeted towards younger audiences include books such as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, as well as classics like Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and The Bluest Eye by Tony Morrison.
Book censorship is founded on political beliefs and the personal opinion of school boards, rather than an unbiased review of novels when they are being investigated for removal. Books are becoming increasingly indiscernible with politics.
Advocacy against book bans is increasingly relevant to stop the censorship of books, and also the censorship of real people. Supporting commonly banned books and their authors is important to show support for POC and queer individuals who may be affected by book censorship.
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