60 Seconds in the Banned Books Big Chair... What Would You Say?

I'm just back from the American Library Association 2023 Annual Conference in Chicago, where I had the opportunity to be recorded in the very big chair for Banned Books week (that's happening in the fall, October 1-7, 2023.)

The chair was seriously big. I'm 6 feet 4 inches tall, and my feet didn't even touch the floor!

There was a line of librarians and other conference attendees taking turns recording their videos, and counters filled with banned books (classics and new favorites) for folks to choose from.

I'd signed up for a spot to talk about my nonfiction book for readers age 11 and up, No Way, They Were Gay? (Zest Books/Lerner) as it's gotten challenged and banned and called obscene just for sharing the real history and primary sources about men who loved men, women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside the gender binary, across time and around our world.

"Do you know the passage you're going to read?" I was asked by the volunteer running things after I signed the release form.

"How much time do I have?" I asked - I hadn't seen anyone else's being recorded. It was a fifteen minute time slot, so I was thinking I'd have time to talk about the book and read a few pages.

"Between thirty seconds and one minute would be ideal." The volunteer told me.

One minute.

Sixty seconds.

So I didn't read from my book. I held it up, explained what it was, and spoke from my heart about how it was the kind of book that would have changed my life if I'd read it as a young gay kid... and how I hoped it would be available for young people today and tomorrow to read and be empowered by the real history of Queer people existing throughout time and around our world.

And I added that there's no such thing as a silent ally, and we all need to speak up and out against books being banned. Because books can change hearts. And if we all stand up together, we can change the world for the better.

I invite you to think about what you would say if you had 60 seconds to share about why you're against banning books.

The answer's important, as are you.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee