More than half of the books banned in schools last year featured people of color or LGBTQ characters, according to a new report from PEN America. The nonprofit found that 36% of the 4,218 banned titles had characters or people of color, while 25% included LGBTQ representation, with 28% of those featuring transgender or genderqueer characters. Additionally, 10% of the banned books included characters with physical, learning, or developmental disabilities.
“This targeted censorship amounts to a harmful assault on historically marginalized and underrepresented populations,” said Sabrina Baêta, senior manager for PEN America’s Freedom to Read program. “When we strip library shelves of books about particular groups, we defeat the purpose of a library collection that is supposed to reflect the lives of all people.”
Book bans have surged in recent years, with PEN America documenting more than 10,000 instances of schools or districts removing books from classrooms, curricula, or libraries last year. This marks a significant increase from the 1,600 books banned during the 2021 school year. The American Library Association also reported a record-breaking number of book challenges in 2024.
For the first time, PEN America analyzed the genres of banned books, finding that the most targeted categories were realistic fiction, dystopian/sci-fi/fantasy, history and biography, mystery and thriller, educational books, and memoirs. Picture books and illustrated works accounted for 17% of all bans. The report noted that 44% of banned history and biography books featured people of color, and 26% focused on Black individuals. Meanwhile, 25% of banned titles in this category included LGBTQ representation, with 9% specifically featuring transgender or genderqueer people.
“Nowhere is the attack on stories of LGBTQ+ children and families more apparent” than in the picture book category, the report stated, where 64% of banned titles contained LGBTQ themes or characters. More than half of all banned LGBTQ books also featured characters of color.
The push for book bans has been led largely by conservative activists and parents who argue that certain books contain inappropriate material. Florida’s Department of Education, for example, released a list of removed titles, including The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Spokesperson Sydney Booker dismissed accusations of censorship, saying, “Once again, far-left activists are pushing the book ban hoax on Floridians.”
These bans harm students by limiting access to diverse perspectives and essential information. PEN America pointed out that over half of U.S. schoolchildren are students of color, and a growing percentage of younger generations identify as LGBTQ.
While book bans often claim to target sexual content, the report found that such concerns are frequently exaggerated. Of the more than 4,000 banned books, only 31% included references to sexual experiences with minimal detail, while just 13% contained more descriptive scenes. The report emphasized that books covering topics like grief, abuse, and mental health were more frequently banned than those addressing sexuality.
“Books with sexual content allow students to raise questions about this aspect of human experience, which can help guide them,” PEN America stated, warning that broader censorship efforts could have lasting consequences on education.
Link: NBC News