A new report from PEN America reveals that more than half of the books banned last school year focused on people of color or LGBTQ individuals. The nonprofit group, which supports free expression in literature, released data showing that over 10,000 book removals occurred last year, affecting 4,218 titles. The analysis highlights that 36% of banned books featured people of color, and 25% included queer characters. Of these LGBTQ books, 28% had transgender or genderqueer characters. Books featuring disabled characters made up 10% of the banned titles. PEN America’s Sabrina Baêta calls this targeted censorship a harmful assault on marginalized populations. She said,
“When we strip library shelves of books about particular groups, we defeat the purpose of a library.”
In 2024, the American Library Association recorded the highest number of book challenges ever. Last year, banned genres included realistic fiction, dystopian fiction, history, and biographies. PEN America found that marginalized identities often intersected in banned books. Over half of LGBTQ books also featured people of color. In Florida, the Department of Education removed books such as The Bluest Eye and Slaughterhouse Five, claiming no books were banned. Critics argue that book bans harm students by restricting access to diverse perspectives. As more students identify as LGBTQ or people of color, these bans erase essential stories and experiences from classrooms.
