Proudly Reading Banned Books with the Authors Guild

David LevithanJune 16, 2022

In the last year, 29 states have introduced bills or took other steps to limit how teachers can discuss racism and sexism. These laws often include confusing and wide-sweeping restrictions on texts related to race, gender, and sexuality in general. For instance, of the 850 books a Texas legislator proposed to ban in public schools, 62 percent feature LBGTQIA+ characters or discuss sexual orientation or gender identity issues. This list includes my own book, “Two Boys Kissing.”I’m David Levithan, a children’s book editor and the author of many books for young adults, including “Boy Meets Boy,” “Love Is the Higher Law,” and “Every Day.” I proudly joined the Authors Guild Banned Books Club to read my novel “Two Boys Kissing” together, and this club continues to read more banned books all year long.

Join the free Authors Guild Banned Books Club on Fable!

A history of censorship

As I wrote in the Banned Books Club, efforts around the country are trying to erase LBGTQIA+ people, our voices, our history, our existence, and the words used to describe us positively. My book has faced different kinds of resistance, challenges, and bans. First, there have been outright challenges in many communities. It has been included on many politicians’ lists of books to pull from libraries. Obviously, the title and the cover certainly help them—they don't even have to read the book to be against it. There have been more anecdotal challenges where bookstores or libraries have displayed the book, and parents have complained, saying, “You can't show two boys kissing.” I’m proud to say many booksellers have moved the book to the front of the store out of solidarity after receiving these complaints.The most insidious and dangerous kind of censorship comes from pre-emptive censorship. There are many times when people judge the book by its title alone, and the book never makes its way into the library or classroom because these people feel their community will not be served by that book, even though it would be! “Two Boys Kissing” is a lightning rod for people who don't want to acknowledge that there are boys who kiss in their community.It is extremely disheartening to see that in 2022, anyone can still say, “We can't talk about two boys kissing. That’s too inappropriate for children.”It is heartening to see the reaction against it and realize that it is very much a generational thing. The children, especially the teenagers, are very much like, “who are you kidding? That’s ridiculous!” They are not taking it lying down. It has been incredibly encouraging to see the resistance, even if the reason they have to resist is so ridiculous. I invite you to join me for a free virtual conversation with author Rachel Vail about these important topics on June 20th at 4 PM (Pacific) / 7 PM (Eastern).

Register for our free virtual event!

How to fight back

If you are concerned about book banning or censorship in your community, you can contact The National Coalition Against Censorship’s Book Challenge Crisis Hotline.If you want to fight back, the Authors Guild recommends sending an email or letter to your state representative expressing concern about the growing number of states outlawing the teaching of what they’ve labeled “critical race theory” as well as queer history and identity.These laws inevitably undermine all discussions about racial and gender inequity; inspiring book bans that disproportionately impact BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students. Follow this link to download a sample letter.

David Levithan