If you feel like you’re reading a lot more about book bans in the United States, you’re not wrong. According to data from Pew, for example, the latest Republican effort to ban (if not burn) books from school libraries and classrooms is the biggest challenge books have had in literal decades. We’re seeing anti-intellectual movements take over school boards across the nation, but there’s a special focus on the fight recently in Texas. Even the governor of the state, Republican Greg Abbott, weighed in on the subject, saying he’s concerned about “pornography” in schools and endorsing a surreal “Parental Bill of Rights” to keep public education as conservative as possible. (Sadly, as previously covered at Daily Kos, the framing of this issue as being about parental “rights” is spreading—and that’s very, very bad.)

How many books are being challenged? In Texas alone, hundreds of books have already been pulled from school library shelves. And—surprising no one—the vast majority of these titles are by LGBTQ+ folks and people of color.

For example, Republican state Rep. Matt Krause recently released a list of 850 titles he wanted an investigation into because he suggested they might make students feel uncomfortable. According to the Dallas Morning News, just looking at the first 100 titles on his list is revealing: Out of 100 book titles, 97 of those listed were written by women, LGBTQ+ people, or people of color. The Gransbury ISD pulled 130 challenged titles from school library shelves already, saying they’re being reviewed for “inappropriate content.”

Students are, understandably, livid. 

One sophomore at Granbury High School shared their thoughts during a school board meeting on Monday, Jan. 24, saying many of the books Krause is challenging contain “helpful information about abortions, sexual education, and human rights.” They noted that books about LGBTQ+ people make up over “half” the listed books. Young people might not be able to vote, but they pay attention—especially when their rights are being challenged or swept under the table.

Parents, sadly, are all too eager to keep their children as sheltered as possible, perhaps as a means of ignoring their own structural and systemic privilege. For example, according to records obtained by NBC News, a parent in the Houston, Texas, area asked the school district to remove a biography of Michelle Obama, saying it promotes “reverse racism” against white people and unfairly portrays Donald Trump as a bully. First of all, reverse racism doesn’t exist. Period. Second of all, this book (Michelle Obama: Political Icon by Heather E. Schwartz, for the curious) is a biography for literal children—I highly doubt it contains the infamous critical race theory Republicans can’t stop obsessing over. Also, Trump was and is a bully. 

A parent in the Austin, Texas, area suggested schools include the Bible instead of four books about racism. (No, this isn’t satire.)

It’s like conservatives aren’t even trying to hide their disdain for people who aren’t like them—they don’t want to teach accurate, honest history (much less critical race theory), they don’t want trans youth to play sports, they don’t want trans folks to have health care, and they definitely don’t want public school students to be remotely challenged on their “closely held” religious beliefs, even if it’s for the purpose of learning actual factual information. Of course, these folks don’t want people reading books that might humanize others or build empathy or education. 

These sorts of fights against inclusive material also perpetuate cycles of shame and low self-esteem in young people. For example, as one 17-year-old openly bisexual student told NBC News, reading books about LGBTQ+ people doesn’t “turn people gay,” but instead “helps kids realize that the feelings that they’ve already had are valid and OK, and I think that’s what a lot of these parents are opposed to.”

Executive Director of the Texas Library Association Shirley Robinson spoke to Stateline in an interview, saying they “haven’t seen or heard of challenges like these probably in the last 40 years.” Robinson went on to say it’s “definitely become politicized.”

According to a record request from NBC News that looked into challenged books in several major Texas school districts (Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas), 50 titles stand out, including repeated efforts for bans across the state. You should check out the full list here (and the even fuller list of titles challenged by Kraus here), but some titles include How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris, More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George Matthew Johnson, and I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings. 

Republican lawmakers are pushing to ban “critical race theory” in K-12 schools in a massive effort to create a culture war, exploit it as a wedge issue in local elections, and silence Black dissent. Sign here to show your support in the progressive fight against censorship.