Alyson Banned: Banned Books and Ongoing Pushback of Queer Texts in Schools
“A book ban within a school context refers to any action taken against a book due to its content, stemming from challenges posed by parents or the community, administrative decisions, or pressure from lawmakers and governmental figures” (PEN America)
Curatorial Statement
Reflection:
We begin with reflection as our first ideal, as when examining an archive and exhibit such as ours; reflection is our primary goal. Our exhibit aims to provoke thought and dialogue about the impact of censorship on LGBTQIA+ literature within educational environments. This exhibit reflects the historical and ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ communities in schools and classrooms nationwide. These books in the exhibit tell their own story but also represent a collective struggle for recognition and representation.
Inclusivity:
While reflection is a primary goal, inclusivity lies at the heart of this exhibit. By bringing together a diverse range of banned books for Alyson Publications, we aim to showcase the rich breadth of LGBTQIA+ experiences and identities. While not the main focus, this exhibit does not just illustrate the reasons behind the ban but also seeks to underscore the importance of these books in fostering empathy and inclusion among all readers.
Curation:
Each selected book for this exhibit has been chosen for its ability to engage and educate, while also relating to the theme of LGBTQIA+ censorship. Through the selection of books and a myriad of information, we hope to inspire readers to reflect on the significance of free expression and the ongoing fight for inclusivity in literature and media. This exhibit highlights the resilience of LGBTQIA+ authors and their stories and this exhibit hopes to encourage readers to consider the implications of censorship and bans on our culture and education system.
Background
In today's educational landscape, the contentious issue of banning books in schools is a topic of debate. The process of banning books can result in the complete removal of a previously accessible book or restrictions on its availability, thereby limiting students' access to diverse perspectives and ideas. School book bans manifest in various forms, extending from the removal of books from libraries or classrooms to imposing temporary restrictions, ultimately raising questions about the balance between educational freedom and censorship within academic environments (PEN America). Over the past several decades, LGBT+ literature has faced unjust censorship, deemed inappropriate, controversial, and overly sexual for school settings (Stevens). Misguided fears among some parents have perpetuated the notion that exposure to such stories could somehow influence their children's sexual orientation. Children depend on a rich array of literature to help shape their identities by exploring diverse narratives and perspectives.
Here we discuss several banned books published by Alyson Publications:
Daddy’s Roommate
The publication of Daddy’s Roommate catalyzed widespread social and political discussions, thrusting issues of LGBTQ+ representation, acceptance, and censorship into the spotlight. Its depiction of a same-sex relationship within a family framework confronted societal taboos head-on, prompting both praise for its progressive stance and vehement opposition from conservative circles. In the heat of the 2008 US Presidential election, Daddy’s Roommate found itself unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight once again, this time amidst allegations involving Sarah Palin, then a vice-presidential candidate. Accusations surfaced suggesting Palin's involvement in attempts to remove the book from a public library in Alaska, fueling controversy and drawing attention to the ongoing struggle over LGBTQ+ representation and censorship in educational settings. Opponents of Daddy’s Roommate argued vehemently that the book was inappropriate for young readers, contending that its inclusion in libraries and school curricula amounted to an attempt to indoctrinate children into a perceived "gay lifestyle." Such sentiments led to contentious battles within communities and school boards, highlighting the ongoing tensions between advocates of diversity and inclusion and those advocating for traditional values and censorship.
Dates and School Board/Library Challenges
1992 Bay Ridge (NY) School Board and Gwinnett County (GA) Regional Library
1993 Mercer County (NJ) Library System
1994 Cottage Grove (OR) School System and Chandler (AZ) Public Library
1995 Rutland (VT) Free Library
1998 Brevard County (FL) Library System and Wichita Falls (TX) Public Library
2005 Centerville (IN) School District
Heather Has Two Mommies
Heather Has Two Mommies was the first picture book to feature a same-sex family and is known for its groundbreaking but controversial storyline. The book struggled to find a publisher as mainstream publishers in New York all said no, as well as other LGBTQIA+ publishers. This rejection led to a crowdfunding analog-style publishing, where after raising $4,000, Newman was able to find an illustrator, a printer, and got an ISBN number. In the 1990s, the American Library Association ranked Heather Has Two Mommies as the 9th most frequently challenged book in the United States and it was the second most banned book in the United States in 1992. In 1993, Rev. Louis P. Sheldon of Traditional Values Coalition, stated that Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate would “bring God-fearing people together in a noble crusade” against them. In a 2015 report on CNN, the book has been challenged 42 times by legislators and parents. Even as time has passed and many iterations of the book have been developed and sold, the controversy has followed and the attempts to ban it have not ceased.
Dates and School Board/Library Challenges
1992 Bay Ridge (NY) School Board
1992 Oregon (OR) Citizen Alliance
1992 Cumberland County Library (NC)
1993 Queens (NY) District 24 School Board
2000 Wichita Falls (TX) Public Library
2022 Pennridge School District in Bucks County (PA)
Revolutionary Voices: a Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology
Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology is a collection of stories, letters, poetry, and artwork of queer youth. While not as targeted as Daddy’s Roommate and Heather Has Two Mommies, Revolutionary Voices had its own struggle with challenges specifically due to its connection to youth. The book has been called child pornography by some, and others have rejected it by calling it vulgar, obscene, and inappropriate and therefore necessary of banning. In response to the banning, Montclair State University students and alumni protested by using pieces from the book to perform theatrical readings around New York and New Jersey.
Dates and School Board/Library Challenges
2010 Burlington County Library System
2010 Rancocas Valley Regional High School Board of Education
Young, Gay, and Proud
Young, Gay, and Proud was written to help young people explore their identity. Despite its modest popularity, it evaded much of the scrutiny that the more popular Alyson Publications books have endured. However, in 1989, a notable incident unfolded in Michigan when the book faced a challenge from the Public Libraries of Saginaw, citing a violation of Michigan law due to its alleged promotion of obscene material. Even more astonishingly, in 1987, during Margaret Thatcher's conservative oversight of the UK government, posters were circulated accusing the Labour Party of advocating for the inclusion of this book in school curricula.
Dates and School Board/Library Challenges
1987 Thatcher Conservative Party (UK)
1989 Public Libraries of Sabinaw (MI)
Two Teenagers in Twenty
Similarly to Revolutionary Voices, Two Teenagers in Twenty is a collection of stories by gay and lesbian teenagers describing their personal experiences and insight into their own emotions. This book, while originally banned and removed from the Barron, Wisconsin School District due to the book’s homosexual themes and outdated information about AIDS, was challenged by the ACLU of Wisconsin. The ACLU filed suit against the school district in 1999 and during the lawsuit the book was returned to the library. It wasn’t until the end of the year until the book was officially returned to the school district as part of a settlement deal.
Dates and School Board/Library Challenges
1998 Barron (WI) School District
Current Developments with LGBT+ Banned Books
As ongoing book bans surge nationwide, access to LGBT+ literature for young readers faces mounting obstacles. In 2023 alone, a staggering 4,000 diverse books came under fire, a 92% increase from 2022. Nearly half of these challenged titles—47%—included characters representing LGBT+ and/or BIPOC communities. This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need to safeguard inclusivity and diversity in literature against censorship.
Most banned LGBT+ books in 2022
- Gender Queer: A Memoir
- All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto
- Flamer
- Looking for Alaska
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- Lawn Boy
- This Book Is Gay
“Banning books is an attempt to silence voices. Voices that have fought to be heard. Voices whose stories light the way for the next generation. Voices that belong in libraries. Let us say it loud and clear: Libraries are for everyone and books are for everyone” (New York Public Library).
Works Cited
“2023 Banned Books Update: Banned in the USA.” PEN America, 20 Apr. 2023, https://pen.org/report/banned-in-the-usa-state-laws-supercharge-book-suppression-in-schools/.
“LGBTQ+ Titles Targeted for Censorship: Stand Against Book Banning.” The New York Public Library, https://www.nypl.org/blog/2023/06/23/lgbtq-titles-targeted-censorship-stand-against-book-banning. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.
Murphy, Terry. “LGBTQ Book Challenges Are on the Rise. Here’s Why.” Harvard Gazette, 28 June 2023, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/06/lgbtq-book-challenges-are-on-the-rise-heres-why/.
Newman, Lesléa. “Heather and Her Critics.” The Horn Book, https://www.hbook.com/story/heather-and-her-critics. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Staff, S. L. J. “Librarians Harassed in El Paso, TX.” School Library Journal, https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/librarians-harassed-in-El-paso-TX-Heather-has-two-mommies-back-in-the-spotlight-censorship-roundup. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Sonnie, Amy. Revolutionary Voices : A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology. Los Angeles : Alyson Books, 2000. Internet Archive, http://archive.org/details/revolutionaryvoi0000unse.
Stevens, Taylor. “Suppressing Communities: An Analysis of LGBTQ+ Censorship in Libraries.” Pathfinder: A Canadian Journal for Information Science Students and Early Career Professionals, vol. 1, no. 2, 2, May 2020, pp. 51–64. pathfinderjournal.ca, https://doi.org/10.29173/pathfinder15.
Zheng, Sarah. "The Impact of Book Bans on LGBTQ Students." YIP Institute. https://yipinstitute.org/capstone/the-impact-of-book-bans-on-lgbtq-students. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.