In this episode of Romance at a Glance, hosts Bridget and Shani tackle the alarming issue of book bans alongside guest Sabrina Baêta, Senior Program Manager of Freedom to Read at PEN America. The episode delves into the growing incidence of book bans in K-12 public schools, with a particular focus on romance novels and LGBTQIA+ literature.
The hosts discuss the motivations behind these bans, which often target minority communities and aim to censor literature that addresses sexual experiences, violence, and abuse.
Sabrina shares alarming statistics about the books being banned and the increasing trend of 'sideways censorship.' The conversation also highlights the role of Penn America in combating these bans and emphasizes the importance of community action to support librarians and educators.
The episode concludes with practical advice for listeners on how to get involved and make a difference in their local communities against the backdrop of this critical issue.
About the growing book bans across America
Bans Sweep Across Reading Levels and Genres, Targeting Titles about People of Color, Race, Racism, and LGBTQ+ Subjects at High Rates.
Analysis Shows Stories about Disabled People, Immigrants, Social Activism and Bullying Are Targets and Debunks Exaggerated Claims about Explicit Sex in Books.
(NEW YORK)-- The removal of books focused on people of color, race and racism, and LGBTQ+ subjects from public schools continues as part of a concerted and dangerous campaign nationwide, according to new analysis of thousands of banned titles by PEN America. These topics are highly targeted among banned books across genres and reading levels—fiction, history, biography, memoir, even picture books.
Of the 4,218 unique banned titles in the 2023-2024 school year, 1,534 or 36% featured fictional characters or real people of color. In analyzing banned history and biography titles alone, PEN America found 44% featured people of color, with 26% of banned historical and biographical titles specifically featuring Black people. The comprehensive analysis is based on PEN America’s documentation of the more than 10,000 instances of book bans nationwide, as school districts banned many of the same titles. The movement to ban books originated in a coordinated network of groups that also largely espouses white supremacist and Christian nationalist ideology.
The targeting of banned titles featuring people of color is happening at the same time as the population of students of color has reached an all time high—now more than half of all American schoolchildren. This is especially concerning as equity and diversity initiatives seeking to achieve more equal representation in schools are under attack by government at all levels.
Coupled with the banning of books about communities of color is the removal of titles about the LGBTQ+ community. During the 2023-2024 school year, 29% of all banned titles included LGBTQ+ characters, people, or themes. Of the banned titles with LGBTQ+ characters or people, 28% specifically featured trans and/or genderqueer characters. Also, more than half of the banned books with LGBTQ+ people or characters include communities of color, highlighting the intersectionality of attacks on marginalized groups.
Research has shown that banning books about the experiences and histories of marginalized groups of people increases feelings of exclusion and invisibility, and intensifies their risk of mental health challenges. The erasure of books about students of color in school libraries has deeply harmful impacts on mental health.
“This targeted censorship amounts to a harmful assault on historically marginalized and underrepresented populations — a dangerous effort to erase their stories, achievements, and history from schools,” said Sabrina Baêta, senior manager for PEN America’s Freedom to Read program. “When we strip library shelves of books about particular groups, we defeat the purpose of a library collection that is supposed to reflect the lives of all people. The damaging consequences to young people are real.”
Proponents of book bans often label titles with consensual sexual experiences as “explicit.” But PEN America found their rhetoric to be exaggerated. Out of all 4,218 unique titles examined, 31% had references to sexual experiences but with minimal detail. Only 13% described the sexual experiences “on the page”. Books with sexual content allow students to raise questions about this aspect of human experience, which can help guide them. PEN America’s analysis showed other books offering real-world experience on important topics were among those banned at higher levels— on death and grief, violence, abuse, and mental health issues.
Similarly, books about books about race and racism (20% of all banned titles) illuminate the ways in which these factors have impacted history and everyday life. Books on activism and social movements (15%) illustrate real and fictional stories about those who have worked to better the world in which they live. Books that touch on incarceration and policing (13%) can increase young people’s understanding of prison and policing systems, and foster empathy towards those impacted. Books about immigration or immigrants and refugees (7%) help raise awareness and dispel misinformation.
PEN America’s Work on Educational Censorship
PEN America has documented the steep rise in book bans in schools since 2021. The censorship has been mobilized by a well-funded coordinated network of conservative groups. Together with state laws and policies that erase so-called “divisive” topics from classrooms, this “Ed Scare” has led to education censorship unseen since the 1950s-era Red Scare. On book bans, the groups have created platforms, such as BookLooks or Laverna in the Library, giving adherents who want to ban books a tool to target topics PEN America has identified as disproportionately banned.
About Sabrina
Sabrina Baêta is a senior program manager with Freedom to Read at PEN America. She is co-author of PEN America's reports documenting book bans in the U.S. She engages in research and awareness-building around censorship attacks on public K-12 education, especially as it relates to literature accessibility in libraries and classrooms. Sabrina graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Music in Voice, and then from the University of Central Florida with a Master of Nonprofit Management. She is a poet, essayist, and writer and prior to PEN America, worked in educational publishing and in a variety of performing arts and education nonprofits.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
What’s not to love about a love story? Romance book bans
Romance novels are among the most frequently banned books in U.S. schools, according to PEN America’s analysis of school book bans. Romance fiction is often targeted and banned in schools for its inclusion of sex, even if only referred to and not explicit.
Most of these books were written specifically for young adults and feature love and romance story lines for teens figuring out romantic relationships. A love of love stories can turn teens – including 18-year-old students who are legally adults – into lifelong readers.
These are the most banned romance novels in the 2023-2024 school year.
A Court of Thorns and Roses series, by Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury Publishing)
This “romantasy” series follows the journey of 19-year-old Feyre Archeron after she is brought into the faerie lands of Prythian. The storylines might be “spicy” but also focus on consent and agency. There were over 270 instances of book bans in the series in the 2023-24 school year, with dozens of districts banning each of the books.
Throne of Glass series, by Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Maas’ Throne of Glass series features a teenage assassin in a corrupt kingdom with a tyrannical ruler. Books in the series were banned more than 180 times in the 2023-24 school year.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo (Dutton Books)
This National Book Award-winning novel was a New York Times bestseller. Set in 1954, it features a Chinese American finding love with another girl amid Red Scare paranoia.
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (Penguin Books)
The Fault in Our Stars is a young adult novel about two teenagers with cancer who fall in love. The book was adapted into a movie starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort.
Red, White and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston (St. Martin’s Griffin)
This romance novel centers on the son of the President of the United States as he falls for a British prince. It was made into a film in 2023.
Like a Love Story, by Abdi Nazemian (Balzer + Bray)
Like a Love Story is a historical, young adult romance novel that follows Reza, an Iranian boy, as he grapples with his homosexuality amid the AIDS crisis in New York City.
Twilight series, by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown & Company)
Team Edward or Team Jacob? Some teens will never know. Books in this werewolf-vampire love triangle series were banned in 34 instances in the 2023-24 school year.
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About Romance at a Glance
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Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.
As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.
Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.
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