New York – Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir, “Gender Queer,” maintains its status as the most controversial book in the United States, topping the American Library Association’s (ALA) “challenged books” list for the third consecutive year.
Originally published in 2019 and recipient of the ALA’s Alex Award for best young adult literature, “Gender Queer” has sparked heated debates over library content, drawing criticism from conservative organizations like Moms for Liberty. Calls for parental control over book availability have intensified, leading to bans in school systems across states like Florida, Texas, and beyond. Notably, last December, police in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, responded to a complaint from a custodian by searching for the book in an 8th-grade classroom.
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, notes that “Gender Queer” has become a lightning rod for advocacy groups seeking to stifle conversations about gender identity.
The ALA’s top 10 list of challenged books features several with LGBTQ themes, including works like George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and Juno Dawson’s “This Book is Gay.” Additionally, books like Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” and Ellen Hopkins’ “Tricks” faced challenges due to their perceived sexual explicitness.
Recent data from the ALA reveals a concerning trend of increasing bans and attempted bans, with over 4,240 works targeted in school and public libraries in 2023. Notably, nearly half of the challenged books feature LGBTQ and racial themes, reflecting broader societal tensions.
The ALA defines a challenge as a formal complaint filed with a library or school regarding content or appropriateness. However, the association acknowledges that many challenges go uncounted, suggesting a broader impact on literary freedom and access to diverse perspectives.
