Book bans in public schools across the United States have surged by 28% in the first half of the 2022-23 academic year, according to a new report by the writers’ organization, Pen America. The report, titled Banned in the USA: State Laws Supercharge Book Suppression in Schools, points to the relentless crusade by conservative groups and politicians to restrict children’s freedom to read.
Since July 2021, Pen America has documented over 4,000 instances of banned books in public schools, including 1,477 individual book bans affecting 874 unique titles during the first half of this academic year. Censorious legislation in states across the country has been a driving force behind new restrictions on access to books in public schools.
Of the 1,477 books banned this school year, 30% are about race, racism, or include characters of color, while 26% have LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The report highlights the misapplication of labels such as “pornographic” or “indecent” by activists and politicians to justify the removal of books that do not remotely fit the well-established legal and colloquial definitions of pornography.
Pen America reveals that book bans are more common in Republican-run states. Seven districts in Texas were responsible for 438 instances of individual book bans, and 13 districts in Florida were responsible for 357 bans. According to Pen, the most frequently banned books in the 2022-23 US school year were Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, Flamer by Mike Curato, Tricks by Ellen Hopkins, and The Handmaid’s Tale: a Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood and Renée Nault.
Despite political blowback, conservative politicians continue to restrict access to books that feature LGBTQ+ characters or themes. In Florida, “don’t say gay” laws were expanded from public elementary schools to the whole state system on Wednesday. However, the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, saw a major donor pause support for his nascent presidential run, citing book bans as one policy of concern.
The rise in book bans may be dismissed by some politicians as a “hoax,” but the numbers reveal a relentless crusade to constrict children’s freedom to read. The heavy-handed tactics of state legislators are mandating book bans, plain and simple. According to Pen America’s chief executive, Suzanne Nossel, “Their constituents and supporters are not fooled. The numbers don’t lie.”