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Nonfiction School Bans Spike 200%, Target LGBTQ Content

5/7/2026

42 6 Full Breakdown

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Nonfiction Ban

Nonfiction titles made up 29% of school book bans in 2024-2025, more than double the prior year.
PEN America recorded 3,743 titles removed from libraries in 23 states, with a judge ordering their return to DoD schools.
The report says nonfiction ban surge stems from anti-intellectualism and a push against LGBTQ rights.
Bills H.R. 7661 and H.R. 2616 would restrict sexually oriented material and require consent for pronoun changes.

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Silvey Banned

Author Craig Silvey’s guilty plea led Western Australia’s Education Minister to permanently ban his books in public schools.
PEN America reported non-fiction book bans doubled in 2024-25, with 3,743 titles removed nationwide.
39% featured LGBTQ+ characters and 44% depicted people of colour, underscoring marginalised voices.
Allen & Unwin halted sales and severed ties with Silvey, while libraries removed his works.

History

Historical Context

The 1973 Supreme Court decision Miller v. California, written by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, created the three-prong obscenity test that lets schools judge literary value. Decades later, PEN America reported 3,743 nonfiction titles removed in 2024-25, and Western Australia’s education minister banned Craig Silvey’s books, prompting H.R. 7661 and H.R. 2616 to restrict sexually oriented material.

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Nonfiction Ban

Nonfiction titles made up 29% of school book bans in 2024-2025, more than double the prior year.
PEN America recorded 3,743 titles removed from libraries in 23 states, with a judge ordering their return to DoD schools.
The report says nonfiction ban surge stems from anti-intellectualism and a push against LGBTQ rights.
Bills H.R. 7661 and H.R. 2616 would restrict sexually oriented material and require consent for pronoun changes.

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