NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Author Sarah Prager used to wait for her Google notifications, excited to see reviews about her queer history books for kids and teens. But as time passed, those once-joyful alerts turned into dreaded messages: news of her books being banned.
Prager, the author of "Queer, There, and Everywhere" has found her works frequently targeted amidst the rising wave of book bans sweeping the nation.
Despite a significant majority of Americans opposing these bans, they have surged, mainly in public school classrooms and libraries. A report published by PEN America documented 3,362 instances of book bans during the 2022-2023 school year, a 33% increase from the previous year.
"I really noticed negative attention growing a couple of years ago," she said. "At the end of 2021, other LGBTQ authors and I started talking to each other about how we were all experiencing our books being banned in different school districts and libraries and more online harassment."
The rise in book bans has been largely driven by conservative advocacy groups such as Moms for Liberty, Citizens Defending Freedom, and Parents' Rights in Education whose members actively push for the removal of books at school board meetings and with school districts.
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff last month joined a roundtable at the New York Public Library to discuss the rising threat of school book bans and their impact on students' civil rights.
"Most of the books targeted for bans are by LGBTQ+ authors or people of color, or they cover topics related to these communities. It's just wrong on so many levels," Emhoff said during the event according to The Advocate. "This is also a civil rights issue. Removing these books infringes on your civil rights and erodes our democracy."
Prager's books, which celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout history, have been placed on "restricted" lists and singled out for removal. This censorship has taken a toll on her personally.
"I was very nervous about the fact that I was being called a groomer and a pedophile for creating LGBTQ content directed at kids," Prager said. "I think that queer history education is absolutely essential for all children, whether or not they are queer, to have a well-rounded education of the world just like they should have education of any history.
She explained how understanding queer history not only empowers LGBTQ+ youth but also helps non-queer youth see queer people in a positive light. "It's important for all children to know that queer people have been heroes throughout history and have helped to create the world that they live in."
She also pointed out the importance of dispelling myths used by some political groups: "There are too many adult politicians now using a myth as a talking point that transness is new as justification for denying them healthcare and other basic rights. When gender fluidity is older than the gender binary and trans people have been not only around but honored in their societies for all of human history."
Despite the growing censorship, Prager continues her mission to educate youth about LGBTQ+ history. Her latest book, "A Child's Introduction to Pride," was published in May 2023. Prager was heartened by her publisher's support and the chance to be part of a larger educational series.
"I made sure I didn't write with censors in mind because I assumed it would get banned, no matter how I edited myself with a title like that," she said. "It's a joyful celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and its history and culture. It spans world history from the beginnings of pre-colonial history through modern issues and also gives an introduction to basic concepts like pronouns and coming out."
Prager is hopeful about the future but remains concerned about the impact of the current political climate on authors. "Every author that I know is concerned that we have so few bookings compared to past years," she noted. "And so my hope is that people continue to buy books and support these books in ways beyond buying them. They can express support to their libraries, that they appreciate having these, so that the libraries don't only hear when someone is upset about the book. They can request that their library carry these books. They can request a speaking engagement with an author through their library, their workplace, or their school."
