Verified source brief
‘They’re trying to narrow the worldview of young people’: how book bans are on the rise in the US
Rising tide of censorship is spreading, reshaping what students are permitted to read, learn and think Maia Kobabe wrote Gender Queer as a tender attempt to explain non-binary identity and the journey of sexual discovery to immediate family. “I tried to make it as sensitive and thoughtful as possible, especially given that I knew that my mother would read it ,” the author says. “I was trying to build bridges, trying to connect with people , trying to be understood as my full authentic self by my family and my friends and my community.” But then came culture wars and a concerted effort by reactionary forces to turn back the clock. For three consecutive years, Gender Queer was the most challenged title by would-be book banners. Speaking from Santa Rosa, California, Kobabe, 36, recalls: “Many of the people who challenged my book in the early years, when it was conservative parents speaking
Source brief
Rising tide of censorship is spreading, reshaping what students are permitted to read, learn and think Maia Kobabe wrote Gender Queer as a tender attempt to explain non-binary identity and the journey of sexual discovery to immediate family. “I tried to make it as sensitive and thoughtful as possible, especially given that I knew that my mother would read it ,” the author says. “I was trying to build bridges, trying to connect with people , trying to be understood as my full authentic self by my family and my friends and my community.” But then came culture wars and a concerted effort by reactionary forces to turn back the clock. For three consecutive years, Gender Queer was the most challenged title by would-be book banners. Speaking from Santa Rosa, California, Kobabe, 36, recalls: “Many of the people who challenged my book in the early years, when it was conservative parents speaking
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This is a source-linked brief from The Guardian. Read the original item at ‘They’re trying to narrow the worldview of young people’: how book bans are on the rise in the US.
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- Published by source: 2026-05-09T09:00:52+00:00
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- ‘They’re trying to narrow the worldview of young people’: how book bans are on the rise in the USThe Guardian - 2026-05-09T09:00:52+00:00
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