The Political Power of Book Banning: A panel discussion

Speakers: Rewan Abbas (Psychology student) and Library Staff from Richmondtown Branch of the NYPL

In 2021, a movement of organized book banning facilitated by grassroots organizations emerged. PEN America, an advocacy organization centered around freedom of expression in literature, reported that these organizations played a role in at least 50% of bans in the 2021-2022 school year, 41% of banned books openly discussed LGBTQ+ themes. Since this phenomenon began, book banning has continued to rise, targeting inclusive books and demonizing the LGBTQ+ community as well as educators who support them.

Books banned for LGBTQ content: https://pen.org/pride-month-a-banned-book-reading-list

This in-person CLUE event is sponsored by the CSI Library and the LGBTQ Resource Center.