2023 marked a new high for book bans, with a surge against literature that challenges, educates, and reflects diverse perspectives. States like Texas, Florida, Missouri, Utah, and South Carolina lead this troubling trend with policies that disproportionately target books by and about people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.
In the first half of the 2022-23 school year, 30% of banned books were related to race or featured characters of color, while more than half of those banned in 2023 focused on LGBTQ+ issues.
The escalation of book bans is a calculated effort by conservative advocacy groups and state legislators to curtail access to a broad range of ideas and stories. This movement is not just about removing individual titles; it’s an orchestrated campaign to suppress free expression and erase diversity.
Book bans target marginalized groups with misleading rhetoric, labeling educational content as “pornographic” or “indecent” without basis. This fearmongering, coupled with legal threats and penalties, has led to widespread censorship, affecting a vast array of literature, including works on important social issues like violence, abuse, health, and well-being.
The fight against book bans is about defending the right to a comprehensive and inclusive education.
Logan County Grassroots Democrats 