The latest report from PEN America called “Banned in the USA: Narrating the Crisis” sheds light on the intensifying frequency and damaging impact of book bans and challenges across the US, with over 4,000 instances recorded in the first half of the 2023-24 school year, surpassing the entire previous year.
“The freedom to read is fragile, and it is damaged with each book that is removed from the shelf.”
PEN America, From ‘Banned In The USA’ Report
Nationwide impact
The crisis is no longer isolated but widespread, with PEN America documenting bans in 42 states over two and a half years, according to their report. The bans predominantly target books addressing sexual violence, LGBTQ+ themes—particularly transgender identities—and issues of race and racism. This concerted effort seems driven by a mix of obscenity laws and inflammatory rhetoric, with a notable focus on combating so-called “critical race theory” and “woke ideology.” PEN America states “these bans have frequently occurred as a result of state legislation and/or activity from groups like Moms for Liberty.”
Read: Who are Moms for Liberty? Unveiling extremist ties behind book bans
According to the Trevor Project, 64% of transgender and nonbinary young people reported that they have felt discriminated against in the past year because of their gender identity. According to the Washington Post, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ students have skyrocketed in states with restrictive gender policies or “Don’t Say Gay” copycat laws.
Resistance and backlash
Despite the rising tide of censorship, resistance among students, authors, and educators is growing. They are creatively pushing back against these bans, advocating for the importance of inclusive and reflective storytelling in education. For example, in January 2024, several authors launched the nationwide Authors Against Book Bans to support the librarians, teachers, and communities across the country coping with the crisis.
Read: Lawsuit over Escambia County book bans moves forward in court
A recent motion to dismiss PEN America’s own case in Escambia County, Florida, was rejected by the presiding judge, allowing it to move forward.
The Ed Scare: a history of educational gag orders and what it is
The roots of the current wave of book bans trace back to what PEN America calls the “Ed Scare,” beginning around January 2021. This movement has seen a spike in educational gag orders across state legislatures, aiming to restrict discussions on race, gender, and sexuality—a reactionary measure following the racial justice movements sparked by high-profile events and publications in preceding years.
Read: School book bans: alarming rise as Florida takes lead
The Ed Scare, as documented by PEN America, is a nationwide campaign aiming to stoke fear and unrest concerning public education. It seeks to limit or forbid teachings on race, sexuality, and gender, and to censor books discussing these issues. It’s a comprehensive effort to suppress the freedom to read, learn, and think in public schools via legislative actions and intimidation tactics.
Data insights: a sharp increase in bans
From July to December 2023, the recorded bans reached 4,349 across 23 states, showing a significant escalation from previous years. Florida leads with the highest number of bans, followed by Wisconsin and Iowa, highlighting the widespread nature of this issue. Florida experienced 3,135 bans across 11 school districts. Over 1,600 of those book bans took place in Escambia County Public Schools, the district with the most bans nationwide.
Focus on sexual violence and LGBTQ+ themes
The report details specific instances where books on sexual violence and LGBTQ+ themes have been targeted. For example, “The Nowhere Girls” by Amy Reed, which addresses rape culture, was banned in Idaho for being deemed “vulgar and obscene.” Similarly, books with LGBTQ+ characters have faced bans under vague laws purportedly protecting students from “sexual content.” PEN America believes that the targeting of books featuring scenes or themes of sexual violence has weaponised the concept of “obscenity.” Aided by websites like Book Looks, activists seek to ban books about rape and sexual assault.
Read: Moms for Liberty report Florida librarians to police
Book Looks is a website that was created by a former member of Moms for Liberty in 2022. The website includes information on a wide array of book titles, offering a rating from zero to five for “objectionable” content, paired with quotes from the text without any context.
At least six states have laws or policies similar to SB 150, legislation that violates the fundamental right to a public education,. And still more states, like Montana and Tennessee, have laws requiring schools to notify parents in advance of any instruction related to sexuality or gender so that they can opt their children out; such laws often encourage teachers to avoid those topics altogether.
Racial narratives under fire
Another major trend is the suppression of books dealing with race and racism, criticised under the guise of fighting “critical race theory.” This has led to the removal of books like “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates in South Carolina, where educational gag orders have been particularly aggressive. Books about race and racism, and books with characters of colour, were the targets of 37% of all book bans in the 2021 2022 and 2022 to 2023 school years.
The growing resistance to these book bans signals a pushback against censorship, driven by a coalition of students, educators, authors, and advocates. The fight is not just about preserving access to diverse literature but defending the very principles of freedom and education in the face of increasing ideological control.
The PEN America report ends on this note: “The message is clear: books aren’t harmful—censorship is.”