LGBTQ-themed books top list of most challenged library books of 2023

04/11/2024 / By Arsenio Toledo

The American Library Association (ALA) has come out with its list of ten most challenged library books of 2023, most of which are LGBTQ-themed books.

In a report released on Monday, April 8, the ALA’s list shows that most of the entries were challenged based on them promoting gender ideology and including lewd content, including graphic depictions of sexual acts and promotion of sexual promiscuity. These have raised numerous concerns among parents. (Related: TORCHED ‘EM: Missouri secretary of state candidate uses flamethrower to burn “GROOMING” books in viral video.)

At the very top of the list is the book “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe, a non-fiction graphic novel depicting Kobabe’s coming out as a so-called “nonbinary” individual that has drawn flack for depicting a ton of sexually explicit content, including teenagers having oral sex, the use of a sex toy and a girl wearing a breast binder, among other graphic depictions of sex and sexuality.

“Gender Queer” has been banned in school districts in several states, including Florida and Texas. Kobabe, in an interview, admitted that the memoir was written “for older teens who were already asking these questions about themselves.”

“I don’t recommend this book for kids,” Kobabe added in the interview.

The second most challenged book is “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson, a nonfiction book marketed for teenagers that depicts teenage boys having sex. This book has also been banned in more than two dozen school districts.

The third most challenged book is “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson, another nonfiction that its author describes as a “guidebook” for young people who want to experiment with their sexuality and gender identity.

Of the remaining entries in the top 10, three others were challenged for a combination of LGBTQ and sexually explicit content – “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky at number four, “Flamer” by Mike Curato at number five and “Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships and Being a Human” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan in ninth place.

The four other books in the top 10 list were challenged over concerns about their adult themes, including depictions of rape, incest and other sexually explicit content.

ALA claims “censoring” sexually explicit books is an attack on LGBTQ community

In defense of its promotion of LGBTQ-themed books in libraries all over the country, the ALA has claimed that the “censorship” of these books in children’s libraries is tantamount to discrimination against the LGBTQ community.

“In looking at the titles of the most challenged books from last year, it’s obvious that the pressure groups are targeting books about LGBTQIA+ people and people of color,” claimed ALA President Emily Drabinski in a statement. “At ALA, we are fighting for the freedom to choose what you want to read. Shining a light on the harmful workings of these pressure groups is one of the actions we must take to protect our right to read.”

In its report regarding the most challenged books of 2023, the ALA further claimed that the number of books targeted for so-called “censorship” rose by 65 percent in 2023 compared to the year before, making it the highest recorded number of annual book bans.

“These are books that contain the ideas, opinions and the voices that censors want to silence – stories by and about LGBTQ+ persons and people of color,” claimed ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone. “Each challenge, each demand to censor these books is an attack on our freedom to read, our right to live the life we choose and an attack on libraries as community institutions that reflect the rich diversity of our nation.”

The ALA’s strong opposition to banning books that contain explicit material has led to it being accused of becoming an institution that effectively defends pornography in children’s libraries.

This has led to state libraries in Montana, Missouri and Texas severing all ties with the ALA. State lawmakers in several other states are championing similar measures to prevent the ALA’s influence from seeping into their libraries.

Watch this clip of a mother providing an example of an obscene book found in her school district’s library during a school board meeting.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.