Heartstopper among titles targeted as 53% of school librarians asked to remove LGBTQ+ books, study says
"I feel frightened, intimidated," one school librarian has said on her fear of stocking LGBTQ+ books
By Dale Fox
More than half of UK school librarians have been asked to remove books from their shelves, with LGBTQ+ literature being disproportionately targeted, according to a recent investigation.
The six-month study, carried out by Index on Censorship and shared with The Independent, found that 53% of surveyed UK school librarians reported receiving requests to remove books, with over half of these cases resulting in books being taken off shelves.
Specific titles removed from school libraries included Juno Dawson‘s This Book Is Gay, a memoir about a young person discovering their sexual identity. Dawson, who told Index in 2023 that she had “no idea whether her books were censored in the UK”, is now the third most censored young people’s author in the USA, Index says.
Other targeted books included Jessica Love’s Julián is a Mermaid, a picture book about a gender non-conforming boy, and ABC Pride by Louie Stowell, Elly Barnes and Amy Phelps, which introduces young readers to LGBTQ+ themes through the alphabet.
“I feel frightened, intimidated” – librarian on fear of stocking Heartstopper book
One anonymous librarian, given the pseudonym Emma, described how she was instructed to remove all LGBTQ+ themed books following a single parent’s complaint about one title. Emma added that she was even fearful to put a copy of the most recent Heartstopper book on shelves, saying: “I feel frightened, intimidated.”
The investigation also uncovered other instances of self-censorship among librarians, with some hesitating to purchase or display LGBTQ+ books due to fears of potential backlash. Some reported defying bans by offering “off-the-record loans” from back cupboards.
LGBTQ+ charities and politicians have expressed alarm at these findings. Former MP Elliot Colburn told The Independent that preventing children from accessing material reflecting their experiences poses a “clear and present danger to young LGBT+ people”.
“Preventing LGBTQ+ young people from seeing themselves represented in inclusive resources and books at school can often make them feel ashamed …” – Stonewall spokesperson
Simon James Green, a leading UK writer of LGBTQ+ teenage fiction, noted an increase in pushback against LGBTQ+ library books since his own school visit was cancelled in 2022. “Fast-forward two years and it feels to me like we’re in an even more precarious position,” he told Index. “The publicity the banning brought means librarians often want to talk to me about censorship issues, and many of them have been receiving more pushback about LGBTQ+ library books than ever before.”
Stonewall also emphasised the importance of representation in books for young people, telling The Independent: “It is troubling to see reports LGBTQ+ books are being removed from school libraries as we know that many students find great importance and reassurance in seeing themselves reflected in books and media. Preventing LGBTQ+ young people from seeing themselves represented in inclusive resources and books at school can often make them feel ashamed and feel the need to hide who they are.”
The findings come amid reports of intensifying book banning efforts in the United States. The American Library Association’s latest report shows that 4,240 different books were targeted for removal in the US last year.