Let Freedom Read ...

 

(Picture of part of a display at my local library branch)

October 1-7 is banned books week this year. Banned Books Week is an annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information. I am lucky, my library system, the Chicago Public Library declared itself a sanctuary for endangered stories, and established Book Sanctuaries across 77 distinct neighborhoods and 81 library branches last year. Each Book Sanctuary provides opportunities to expand local access to banned or challenged books.

This includes displays highlighting commonly banned books all year not just for banned books week. This also includes a wide range of events. Last year's One Book One Chicago was Maus by author Art Spiegelman when that work of literature was being widely and publicly banned in many places. This week there is a traveling performance group presenting Books On The Chopping Block

The City Lit Theater Company presents a theatrical display of iconic banned and challenged books in celebration of Banned Books Week 2023. Learn about some of the most popular banned/challenged books of 2022 and decide for yourself - should these books be banned from having anyone read them? What would it be like to have a book banned in your school or public library?

All to often books are banned for LGBTQ+ content because they are deemed "explicit" but the fact that characters sometimes think about sex, hooking up, kissing someone or use words such as Gay, Trans, Gender Fluid etc. does not mean something is "explicit." The same is true for stories that reference the fact that most humans have genitalia of some kind.

I am Ace, sex was rarely on my radar BUT I was never traumatized by stories that mentioned sex or characters interested in sex. Youth who are already thinking about sex are even less likely to be traumatized because the occasional awkwardness or awkward giggling generally does not traumatize kids. And kids are NOT traumatized reading how different people fall in love with people of different genders. 

Banned Books Week is the same week as Mental Illness Awareness Week and during LGBT History Month and while each is its own thing it is fitting that all of these overlap since in many ways they are interconnected. 

When books are banned or students are prevented from reading those books it is often because they contain LGBTQ+ content (see the list of top 10 challenged books from 2022 below) and when youth are taught that being LGBTQ+ is somehow wrong (because that content is banned) they often internalize the message that they themselves are somehow wrong instead of beloved and wonderfully created, and this internalized homophobia, transphobia, etc. often leads to mental health challenges.

Here is a link to a number of actions you can take in order to fight for the freedom to read.

Let Freedom Read

By Dreaming Ace

Honoring this banned book week

Is even more important than typical

When record numbers of books

Are being banned

Banned because they dare

Dare show the wonderful and multifaceted

Face of humanity, Face of people

Dare to show reality

Banned because they dare

Dare show that bad things happen

That people get hurt, get wounded

That trauma is truth sometimes

Banned because they dare

Treat all people, Treat all kids

As if they are human beings

With wants and needs and thoughts and dreams

So many contested

 Because of LGBTQ+ content

Books celebrating all our LGBTQ+ siblings

From today or yesterday or centuries ago or tomorrow

Kids can handle challenging idea

Kids can handle things they don't know

Kids can handle knowing everyone is different

Kids can handle stories including LGBTQ+ content

And

Kids Are Gay, Are Lesbian, Are Bi, Are Pan

Kids Are Trans, Are Gender Nonconforming, Are Gender Fluid

Kids Are Ace, Are Aro

Kids Are Queer, Are Questioning

Allowing kids to see themselves

Themselves in the stories they read

Or see their friends and family in those stories

Is important, Is vital, Is necessary

Otherwise all too often kids will

Internalize that they are different

Wonder if they are broken

Wonder if they are wrong

Otherwise all too often kids will

Feel like they are all alone

With whatever is inside their heads

Wonder if they should exist at all

This week is banned books week

But also Mental Illness Awareness Week

The data proves why showing kids they are not alone 

Can be a matter of life or death

45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year*

Nearly 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide*

LGBTQ youth who live in a community that is accepting of LGBTQ people 

Reported significantly lower rates of attempting suicide than those who do not*

This years banned book theme is "Let Freedom Read"

This week read a contested or banned book

This week write a letter or email or op-ed

About why banning books is so harmful, hateful, traumatizing for kids

Let Freedom Read

Let Freedom Read

Let Freedom Read

*https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/by-the-numbers

(https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10)