Books, the new evil of conservative Americans, are fighting back. Publishing giant Penguin Random House (PRH), has teamed up with the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) to file a lawsuit against the state of Iowa for prohibiting books that contain any depiction of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation from schools and public libraries.
In the last few years, there has been a rise in the effort of conservative parents and lawmakers to ban books that they believe “corrupt” the minds of the young. This “corruption” can come in the form of depictions of sex, the existence of LGBTQ+ issues and people, books that discuss race-related issues, or simply drawing attention to the fact that the U.S. is not the perfect (white cough heterosexual cough) utopia that many have been made (indoctrinated) to believe.
Publishers and education groups are working to combat the spate of book bans that have been sweeping the nation, in this case targeting specific rulings that would see books removed from schools and public libraries. PRH and the ISEA are challenging the recently enacted Senate File 496 (SF 496), which includes “prohibiting instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools in kindergarten through grade six.” Certain parents can then take this ruling to have books they deem to go against this instruction removed from school spaces.
PRH and ISEA, along with four authors whose books have been affected by this rulingーLaurie Halse Anderson (Speak and Shout), John Green (Looking for Alaska and Fault in Our Stars), Malinda Lo (Last Night at the Telegraph Club and A Scatter of Light), and Jodi Picoult (19 Minutes)ーthree educators, a high school student, and a parent are now fighting back, stating the rule goes against First Amendment free speech and Fourteenth Amendment equal protection grounds.
Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House states,
“Our mission of connecting authors and their stories to readers around the world contributes to the free flow of ideas and perspectives that is a hallmark of American Democracy—and we will always stand by it. We know that not every book we publish will be for every reader, but we must protect the right for all Americans, including students, parents, caregivers, teachers, and librarians to have equitable access to books, and to continue to decide what they read.”
The First Amendment covers freedom of speech and the right to read and be read, without government interference in the spreading of thought, ideas, and viewpoints. To remove books, then, is to go against this core belief written down in the American Constitution. Many authors, artists, and educators have spoken up on the issue over the years to condemn the widespread censorship of the written word.
Author Halse Anderson took to Twitter to share the message, writing, “I’m proud to be a part of this lawsuit. Parents choose the books that their kids can read. They don’t have the right to dictate which books other people’s children can or can’t read. Neither do politicians.”
This isn’t the only lawsuit that the publishing house has brought up against a state over book bans. PRH has also teamed up with Barnes & Noble to oppose the Texas READER Act (HB900), which they assert forces booksellers and publishers to label their books for sexual content. On the bright side, some states have outright banned book bans as we see the continuing political divide of the country.
As these issues are arising with alarming frequency, they show just how divided the country is when it comes to what is and isn’t allowed in schools. Bulletproof backpacks to protect your child from a random school shooting that occurs as a result of guns being free and legal to purchase and carry without stringent safety checks in place? Sure. Coming-of-age stories that include young people learning about their own sexuality? That’s a big no.
I think we all know which is the most dangerous one here … right?
(featured image: Getty Images)
