Dobby Morse

Silencing Ideas:

Behind the Rise of Book Banning

By Dobby Morse

In the 1600s, books were banned for religious hearsay. In the early 1800s, books like Uncle Tom’s Cabin were banned for expressing pro-abolitionist sentiments. In the 1920s, books were banned in Boston for obscenity and bans became so rampant that authors would intentionally try to get banned for the publicity.

Yet, 2022 is set to have the highest number of book bans in American history. Between January and August of 2022, The American Library Association received 681 challenges for 1,651 books. In 2021, there were a total of 729 challenges on 1,597 books. In 2019, it was only 377 books. distribute lists of books they want banned, making it possible to ban several books with one challenge. A challenge usually consists of a parent or other “concerned citizen” approaching a library with a complaint about a book and demanding it to be removed from the collection. Many libraries have a set review process for when this happens, but not all. The challenger fi lls out a form describing the book’s content and why it should be removed, essentially forcing them to critically read the book.

The American Library Association (ALA) provides support for libraries that are dealing with a new wave of challenges. They also host the annual Banned Books Week in late September, as well as give out several book awards.. Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, president of the ALA, has been faced with the challenge of navigating this crisis.

“What’s happening now is that libraries and books are being used as a political wedge by a small minority of individuals who want to control the ideas that are out there, as well as control people’s access to materials and stories about people or ideas that they may not agree with,” Pelayo-Loazada said. “So we’re kind of stuck in the middle of folks who just want to

“What’s happening now is that libraries and books are being used as a political wedge by a small minority of individuals who want to control the ideas that are out there, as well as control people’s access to materials and stories about people or ideas that they may not agree with,” Pelayo-Loazada said. “So we’re kind of stuck in the middle of folks who just want to silence diverse people and ideas.”

Moms For Liberty, one of the main groups running book ban campaigns, formed at the start of the pandemic to oppose COVID-19 restrictions. They are a 501(c), meaning that they have tax-exempt status despite having close ties to the Ron DeSantis campaign. These types of organizations are usually “Corporations, funds, or foundations that operate for religious, charitable, scientifi c, literary, or educational purposes,” according to Investopedia. They cannot be used to promote political campaigns. Moms For Liberty claims to have 100,000 members in 37 states, with the main chapter located in Tampa, Florida. Their group and others like them have threatened librarians, run protests against drag shows, and in some cases, caused libraries to lose their funding.

Michigan’s Patmos Library lost 84% of their funding when a group called the Jamestown Conservatives pressured residents to vote against the continuation of a property tax. The library is currently operating on donations until they can pass a levy in November. If the levy does not pass, the library will likely shut down.

“The interesting thing about book banning is that it’s across political party lines. The majority of people oppose book banning, 71%,” Pelayo-Lozada said. “We did a poll at the beginning of 2022, and it found that across party lines, red, blue, Independent folks, most folks were against book banning, so this is just a very small minority of individuals.”

Despite the fact that most Americans are not in favor of book banning, the levy proposed for the Patmos Library did not not pass, as 55.8% of voters said “no.”

Patmos has received complaints about Gender Queer, Spinning, and Kiss Number 8, all of which have queer protaginsts and themes. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe was the most challenged book in 2021, for depictions of queerness and sexuality.

The challenge against Gender Queer “was saying that there were illustrations of children having sex with each other when it was between two consenting teenagers, and that graphic novel is intended for teens and adults. It’s not intended for young children to be reading,” says Pelayo-Lozada.

According to PEN America, 33% of books are being challenged due to depictions of queer experiences, and 41% have protagonists of color. Melissa by Alex Gino is about a young trans girl trying out for the role of Charlotte in the school’s production of Charlotte’s Web. It was the #1 most challenged book from 20182020. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson is a powerful memoir about growing up queer. It was the third most banned book in 2021 for LGBTQIA+ content and profanity. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta is a book told in verse about a biracial gay boy as he tries drag for the fi rst time. Matt Krause, a politician in Texas claimed it would cause “guilt, discomfort, or anguish” in one of the largest mass challenges to date. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is a bestseller following a Black teenager during and after a cop murders her friend in front of her eyes. It is banned for “pervasive vulgarity and racially-insensitive language,” as Lance Hindt, a Texan school offi cial phrased it.

Books have an intangible but indisputable infl uence over our everyday lives. They infl uence our politics, our freedoms, and our very right to exist. Book banning is an attempt at control by parents who cannot stand the thought of their children being diff erent from themselves. It’s an attempt by politicians and other leaders to push an agenda that will get them reelected.

“We’re kind of stuck in the middle of folks who just want to silence diverse people and ideas.” - Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada

Must Read Banned Books

Now that you know why books are being banned, it’s time to read them. Here are some top-tier reccomendations to check out.

1.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Atta wrote this book in verse, making it an extremely fast read despite its slight bulk. While still identifying as a boy, the protagonist questions gender boundaries and joins a drag club when he enters university.

2.

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

In a world without monsters, a creature crawls out of a painting. It asks Jam to bring it to the monster living as an ordinary human in town. It challenges the idea that monsters always look like monsters- that by labeling them as visible and obvious, you let the real monsters hide.

3.

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

This is a memoir-manifesto by journalist and activist George/ Mike Johnson. He recounts growing up in a supportive family that doesn’t always get everything right. He recounts how he desired to break gender norms while maintaining his identity as a boy- something that led to confusion in his family after an older cousin came out as trans. It’s quite an emotional book- despite the distance in time and experience, he recounts them as if the reader is a young queer sibling coming to him for advice.

4.

Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden

This is a sapphic YA published in 1982, and reads like it. Set in New York City, Annie and Liza tour various museums and have a queer tendency to reenact whichever era they fi nd exhibits in. I was dreading that something terrible would happen, as it often does in older queer books. One of the love interests in Maurice suddenly and inexplicably turns straight, and in Brokeback Mountain (short story and movie) the more interesting character dies for no thematically relevant reason. Annie does not die, although it does have a bit of a bittersweet ending.