The Association of University Presses joins with the National Coalition Against Censorship and more than 40 additional organizations to condemn nationwide attempts to block young people from accessing LGBTQ stories in schools and libraries. The impact of this censorship is clearly illustrated in the American Library Association’s 2019 Top Ten Most Challenged Books list, issued this week, in which eighty percent of the titles tell LGBTQ stories.
“When public schools or libraries yield to pressure to remove, redflag, or limit access to these books,” the statement asserts, “they undermine free speech principles, further isolate LGBTQ youth, and deprive all young people of opportunities to increase their empathy and respect for differences.”
AUPresses concurs, affirming our core value of intellectual freedom and in support of diverse and inclusive reading opportunities for all.