A recent survey found that over half of UK school librarians have been asked to remove books, many of which are LGBTQ+ titles, with parents being the main source of these requests.
ADVERTISEMENTA six-month investigation carried out by the Index on Censorship revealed that 28 out of 53 librarians surveyed - 53% - reported being asked to remove books. In over half of these cases, the books were taken off the shelves.
One school librarian who took part in the study was allegedly instructed to remove all books with LGBTQ+ themes following a single complaint from one parent about a specific book.
Notable titles that have faced complaints include "This Book Is Gay" by Juno Dawson, "Julián is a Mermaid" by Jessica Love, and "ABC Pride" by Louie Stowell, Elly Barnes, and Amy Phelps.
Several schools faced challenges to books, including various "Heartstopper" titles by Alice Oseman, which were criticised for homophobic language, swearing, and discussions of self-harm, though they were ultimately not removed.
More than half of the requests for book removals came from parents.
Many librarians, who requested anonymity in the survey due to fear of reprisals, expressed concern about losing their jobs if they refused to comply with book removals. Some reported defying orders by discreetly offering "off-the-record loans" from a back cupboard, facing attempts by parents to have them fired for allowing their child to read an LGBTQ+ book, and being instructed by senior staff to keep certain books but not display them openly.
Outside influence
The UK bans may be influenced by similarly intensifying book censorship trends in the US, which reached record highs last year.
According to PEN America, an organisation that advocates for freedom of expression, the 2022-2023 school year saw 1,477 instances of book bans that have affected 874 unique titles in the US.
Of the 874 unique banned book titles in the Index, 44% include themes or instances of violence & physical abuse; 38% cover topics on health and wellbeing for students (including content on mental health, bullying, suicide, substance abuse, as well as books that discuss sexual wellbeing and puberty); 30% include characters of colour or discuss race and racism; 26% present LGBTQ+ characters or themes.
In an initiative started by Star Trek: The Next Generation star and Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton, nearly 200 big name celebrities signed a petition against book bans in the US. Some of the star-studded signatories included Ariana Grande, Guillermo del Toro, Mark Ruffalo, Sharon Stone, Billy Porter, Aisha Tyler and Judy Blume.
“It’s embarrassing that we are banning books in this country, in this culture, in this day and age. And it’s dangerous that a handful of individuals are deciding that any book with Black and queer people is divisive,” said Burton, executive producer of the 2023 documentary The Right to Read.
“We are calling on everyone to join us in raising their voices to uphold artistic freedom, embrace multicultural history and put a stop once and for all to book bans.”
