Biden to Announce Anti-Book Ban Coordinator

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a list of actions it will take to better protect LGBTQ+ Americans. Among them was a plan to address the rise in books bans, which disproportionately target queer and BIPOC- centered books.

An anti-book ban coordinator will be appointed by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on the grounds that book bans can be in violation of federal rights, as they can lead to the “stigma and isolation that LGBTQI+ people and other communities face.”

Neera Tanden, the current administration’s domestic policy adviser, said, “In too many parts of our country, LGBTQ Americans are being targeted for who they are, and that, simply put, is discrimination.”

The new coordinator will work with schools and facilitate trainings on how discriminatory book bans can create hostile learning environments.

To read the latest on the rise of book bans and censorship, visit our Censorship page.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.