LGBTQ+ authors “intensely” targeted in US book ban, new study reveals
More than 1,500 books have been banned in the US, with a particular focus on titles relating to race and the LGBTQ+ community.
According to new data released by PEN America, there has been a “profound increase” in the number of books banned in the last nine months, due to right-wing censorship.
PEN America’s formal book ban count began from 1 July 2021 to 31 March this year. The organisation stated it was the first “book by book, district by district account of what books are being banned, where in the country, and through what procedures”.
The report revealed that the book ban includes the removal of books from school libraries, bans in classrooms, as well as bans due to challenges from parents, educators, administrators, board members, or because of newly passed legislatures.
