Minnesota Bans Book Bans

metroweekly.com:

Today, I signed a bill into law putting an end to book bans based on ideology in Minnesota.— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) May 17, 2024 The prohibition on book bans comes as a host of states have adopted bans on curriculum content, placed restrictions on what library books can be checked out, and empowered citizens, regardless of whether they are parents, to challenge the availability of books touching on race, racism, and LGBTQ-related topics.Iowa lawmakers even introduced a bill that would criminalize librarians or book lenders who allow minors to check out or purchase books with “obscene” content.Backers of such restrictions argue that they’re not trying to ban any books, but want to protect minors from being exposed to sexually explicit material or content that is too mature.Many of those proponents argue that any LGBTQ content — regardless of age or grade level, even if it is not sexually explicit — is tantamount to “pornography.” They argue that the presence of books with LGBTQ content is an attempt to indoctrinate children into accepting homosexuality as “normal,” in conflict with their religious beliefs, or into identifying as LGBTQ.Nearly every state has experienced an increase in challenges to books in various schools and public libraries.

According to the free speech advocacy group PEN America, there were at least 4,349 instances of books being banned from schools or removed from library shelves in at least 23 states during the first half of the 2023-2024 school year.The number far surpasses previous years’ records for the total number of challenges.PEN America noted that proponents of book bans or challenges have employed hyperbolic rhetoric about “porn in schools” to justify banning books that deal with.