Lawmakers across the United States have declared a war on LGBTQI+, race and racism related books by attempting to erase them from libraries, in an effort to preserve oppressive systems of white supremacy and cisgender heteronormitivity.

As of February 21st, at least 16 states have introduced or considered at least 36 bills attempting to erase LGBTQ+ and race-related books from school libraries and curriculum.

In December, over 600 writers, teachers, advocates and bookstores led by the National Coalition Against Censorship released a statement against the attacks by lawmakers targeting books on race and LGBTQ+ experiences in schools.

“Libraries offer students the opportunity to encounter books and other material that they might otherwise never see and the freedom to make their own choices about what to read. Denying young people this freedom to explore–often on the basis of a single controversial passage cited out of context–will limit not only what they can learn but who they can become,” the statement reads.

The statement came in response to book bans instigated by conservatives, who have been trying to erase LGBTQ+ and race-related books – like Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue”, Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer”.

These bans can have a damaging effect on all children’s understanding experiences that are different from theirs, and can translate into implicit biases into adulthood. Every child deserves access to books and media that affirm their identity, and can open new paths to imagine ways of being and becoming.

This space hopes to be an ongoing thread that critically analyzes the bills restricting LGBTQ+ and race-related books, access to safety and self-determination beyond the numbers and sensationalization.