LGBTQ+ books, such as Heartstopper, have had a positive impact on young people who are exploring their identities and situating themselves within the world. So, why then, has Oseman’s work recently been placed at the centre of controversy in Michigan?
Attempts have been made to defund Patmos Library in Jamestown, Michigan, over claims that some of its books are too explicit. Two of the novels from the Heartstopper series have been used in this argument, initiated by a group of right-wing conservatives. According to LGBTQ Nation, one Jamestown resident argued in a board meeting for the library in September that some of the books – including Heartstopper – promote “lifestyle choices” which are “destructive and wrong”. Ultimately, the Jamestown Conservatives, as the group is called, may have been successful in their crusade to defund Patmos Library. The board president has admitted that the library is likely to run out of money within the next year, after voters rejected a property tax renewal which is the library’s primary source of funding.
This drive towards censoring LBGTQ+ books is a terrifying prospect. But is this case in Michigan an isolated, yet tragic, event? Unfortunately, a recent study would suggest not.
Earlier this year, PEN America released a report which highlights the growing movement of book banning and censorship in America. It highlighted how, between July 2021 and June 2022, 1648 individual book titles have been banned in American schools and libraries, with 41% of these books dealing with LBGTQ+ themes. It also highlighted how 40% of the reported banned books had protagonists or prominent secondary characters of colour. We can see then, a clear attempt to suppress the voices of historically under-represented groups and restrict access to texts which deal explicitly with fundamental societal issues.
Anyone who has read Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and similar 20th century dystopias, will know the implications of book banning and that to restrict access to certain literature is to restrict understanding of the world around us. Throughout history, the censorship of art has been used as a way to facilitate control over populations, which makes the current situation in America all the more terrifying. Especially within the contexts of the recent dismantling of Roe vs. Wade, and the lines between politics and religion becoming increasingly blurred, the influence of far-right religious groups on public institutions such as schools and libraries is another step towards a dystopian-esque America.
