In the last year or so, school districts across the country have been quietly banning books from their library shelves. Nowhere has this been more prevalent than in Florida. While the Florida Governor says that it is due to “pornographic and inappropriate, sexual themes”, it can’t be missed that these bans have disproportionately affected LGBTQ+ authors and authors of color. This is why the pop/rock singer P!nk announced that, in order to take a stand against this, she is giving out 2000 of these banned books at her concerts in the state.
P!nk Is Giving Away Banned Books at Florida Concerts
Grammy-winning pop musician P!nk has taken a stand against book banning by giving away 2,000 banned books at her concerts in Miami and Sunrise, Florida. She collaborated with the organization PEN America and the Florida bookseller Books & Books to give away books that were removed from libraries and classrooms due to claims of inappropriate content related to sexuality, gender identity, and race. (1)
The books P!nk gave away included “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb,” “Girls Who Code” by Reshma Saujani, and Todd Parr’s “The Family Book” – all of which have appeared in PEN America’s Index of Banned Books. In response to this action, P!nk said, “It’s confusing, it’s infuriating, it is censorship.” She also noted how hateful it is to see authorities take aim at books about race and racism, and against LGBTQ authors and those of color.
What is PEN America?
The organization PEN America is an advocacy group that stands for freedom of expression and strives to protect the free flow of information. They have been documenting censorship in the United States for over 50 years and publish the annual Index of Banned Books. The organization also advocates for writers who are under attack for their work or face threats to their livelihood.
Florida: The Most Banned Books of Any State
Florida has been ranked the state with the highest number of book bans in public school classrooms and libraries, according to PEN America’s latest research. They recorded 1,406 book ban cases in Florida, followed by 625 bans in Texas, 333 bans in Missouri, 281 bans in Utah, and 186 bans in Pennsylvania. PEN America also reported a 33% spike in book bans nationally.
PEN America’s statement urged P!nk fans to go to pen.org/pink to find out more about how they can fight book bans. Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has dismissed book bans as a hoax, claiming that pornographic and inappropriate materials have been slipped into classrooms and libraries in the state in an attempt at indoctrination.
“Exposing the ‘book ban’ hoax is important because it reveals that some are attempting to use our schools for indoctrination,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “In Florida, pornographic and inappropriate materials that have been snuck into our classrooms and libraries to sexualize our students violate our state education standards. Florida is the education state and that means providing students with a quality education free from sexualization and harmful materials that are not age appropriate.” (2)
Still, groups like PEN and other advocates claim that the books being banned are not pornographic or inappropriate by any nature. Rather, they are simply talking about LGBTQ+ themes and racism, and highlighting “non-traditional” families. Advocates say that if books that talk about heterosexual relationships aren’t being banned, for example, then those that feature homosexual relationships shouldn’t be, either.
P!nk Taking A Stand
By taking a stand against book banning, P!nk not only supports the writers who have been censored but also encourages her fans to fight against censorship and the restriction of access to information. Her actions show that artists and individuals should not be silenced, and that the free flow of information and expression must be preserved. If you wish to support PEN and their efforts to ensure that diverse authors are still found on your children’s school’s library shelves, go to PEN.org to learn more about the ban and how to support it.
Keep Reading: Pink Won’t Give Her 11-Year-Old Daughter a Phone— Here’s Why
Sources
- “Pink gives away 2,000 banned books at Florida concerts.” NPR. Elizabeth Blair and Chloe Veltman. November 16, 2023.
- “Governor Ron DeSantis Debunks Book Ban Hoax.” FL Gov. March 8, 2023.