THE NEW VICTORIANS: Some facts on “book bans.”
It’s also doubtful that even some of the most liberal advocates of free speech in any era would fail to understand why some parents object to the presence of certain books in K-12 libraries. For example, one of the most targeted books includes an image of a character performing oral sex on a strap-on (“Gender Queer”); one very graphically illustrates how to use a butt plug (“Let’s Talk About It”); and another gives underage gay kids tips for getting on hookup apps (“This Book is Gay”). This is why FIRE not only takes for granted that “age appropriateness” is and should be part of the analysis for what books are in K-12 libraries (and in the children’s sections of public libraries), but also outlines a process for reconsidering library materials that involves all stakeholders in order to provide “due process” for books.
As for “book banners” coming from the political left, there’s some complexity there as well. While they, too, have their fair share of attempts to remove or limit access to certain books like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Huckleberry Finn,” and “Of Mice and Men,” left-leaning censors also have other tools at their disposal. For example, rather than outright banning or restricting access to certain books, they can remove “problematic” content from works of authors like Roald Dahl and R.L. Stine in new editions of their works through the act of “sensitivity reading” at major book publishers. Activists have also pressured publishers to pull books from publication or circulation based on claims they promote harmful stereotypes or because the author wrote about a race or culture different from their own. Either way, the goal is the same: Remove or restrict access to content they deem inappropriate, offensive, or racist from library (and bookstore) shelves.
