Representative Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.) has introduced the “Books Save Lives Act” to require that libraries receiving federal funding “maintain a diverse collection of books.” The bill also classifies book restrictions with a “disparate impact” as a violation of federal civil rights law.
“Rather than honor the brilliance and diversity of our authors, illustrators, and librarians, Republicans are focused on further marginalizing people who already face systemic discrimination in our society — including people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, religious minorities, and people with disabilities — through discriminatory book bans,” said Pressley.
If the bill passes, libraries and schools receiving federal funding must include “books written or illustrated by an individual who is a member of an underrepresented community” and “books about an underrepresented community.” The bill also directs the U.S. Government Accountability Office to create a report documenting the effects of “book bans” on “underrepresented communities.”
The bill classifies “the exclusion of books” that have a “disparate impact” on “educational media written by, illustrated by, or about an individual who is a member of an underrepresented community” as “prima facie evidence of discrimination against a protected class in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
The bill further requires that primary and secondary schools be staffed with a trained librarian.
In a press release, Pressley cites PEN America’s statistics that “more than 3,000 books were banned in the 2022-2023 school year.” According to its methodology, PEN America recognizes a book “ban” if “a previously accessible book [is] either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished.”
When Representative Pressley unveiled the legislation on the House floor, she had a poster featuring the covers of restricted books, including Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson, and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison.
Kobabe endorsed the bill, saying “I support the Books Save Lives Act because I want future young people to see themselves and their world reflected fully and accurately in their libraries.”
Kobabe previously stated that Gender Queer is not intended for young readers, telling the Washington Post, “‘Gender Queer’ is a comic, and in full color, but that doesn’t mean it’s for children. I originally wrote it for my parents, and then for older teens who were already asking these questions about themselves. I don’t recommend this book for kids!”
This Book is Gay includes the chapter “The Ins and Outs of Gay Sex,” which states that “A GOOD HANDIE” is “all about the wrist action” and instructs the reader to “rub the head of his cock back and forth with your hand.” The author told Rolling Stone that, “We’re all very clear This Book is Gay is not for children. This is a book kept in the young adult section, like a lot of the books that are on those banned book lists.”
This Book is Gay also has portions subtitled “How to Argue with a Christian” and “How to Argue with Muslims.” The author explains, “Personally, I think Jesus, had he lived today, would be at every Pride march.” In a subsection titled “Judaism,” the author wrote:
Not being funny, but these guys kinda started it. The parts of the Bible that deal with homosexuality came from the bits based on the Torah (the Pentateuch), so it’s pretty much the same story — the general negative feeling toward homosexuality comes from Sodom and Gomorrah and Leviticus, in this case called Vayiqra.
Lawn Boy includes a passage of minor boys performing oral sex, which the author described in an essay as “innocent experimentation between two eleven-year-old boys.” The author told the Washington Post, “Nobody below a teenager is ready for that book. It’s got a lot of adult stuff.”
The bill has 27 co-sponsors, including Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Jamaal Bowman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Maxine Waters.