“A word to the unwise. / Torch every book. / Char every page. / Burn every word to ash. / Ideas are incombustible. / And therein lies your real fear.”
- from Crank by Ellen Hopkins, a frequently banned book
#10 (tie) on the American Library Association’s list of Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022.
And that is exactly the fear of the parents working to ban this book and others like it… They fear that being exposed to these ideas could somehow give their child “ideas.” Maybe exposure to LGBTQ+ culture could “turn them gay” or some such. It’s not rational. But then, fear isn’t rational. It exists in a primal space in the brain. We should approach it with empathy, but firm resolve.
Though ideas are “incombustible,” as Hopkins writes, the destructive forces of censorship and book banning isolate LGBTQ+ youth. Even if pulling books off of shelves can’t stem the tide of ideas, it can reduce it to a trickle, leaving today’s kids stranded. We firmly believe that we cannot wait for progress, cannot wait for eventually. So we work together to break the dam.
Learn about our theology and philosophy. Or maybe a leadership role would interest you. Go to a school board meeting. Attend your local PTA. Whatever your passion, whatever your gifts, we welcome you to join us in our work together.
We need your help. C’mon, let’s go.
