San Francisco shop fights against book bans

In an increasingly divided political sphere, Becka Robbins is focusing on what she does best — books. From a tiny space in Fabulosa Books in San Francisco’s Castro District, one of the oldest gay neighborhoods in the U.S., Robbins uses donations from customers to ship boxes of books across the country to groups that want them, according to the AP. As part of her “Books Not Bans” initiative, she ships books on queer history, sexuality, romance and more — many of which are increasingly hard to come by amid a fast-growing movement of conservative advocacy groups and lawmakers seeking to ban them from public schools and libraries. “The book bans are horrific, an attempt at erasure,” Robbins said. She wondered how she could get these books into the hands of the people who need them most.

Starting in May of last year, she began raising money and looking for recipients. Her books have gone to places like a Pride center in West Texas and an LGBTQ+-friendly high school in Alabama. Customers are especially enthusiastic about helping Robbins send books to states like Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma, often writing supportive notes to include in the packages. According to the American Library Association, book bans and attempted bans have reached record highs. The most comprehensive objections often come from conservative organizations like Moms for Liberty, which have organized ban efforts nationwide and called for more parental control over books available to children. More than 40% of all book bans from July 2022 to June 2023 occurred in Florida, more than any other state.

Behind Florida are Texas and Missouri, according to a report from the nonprofit PEN America. And the effort now extends to both public and school libraries. According to PEN America’s report, 30% of bans feature characters of color or discuss race and racism, and 30% have LGBTQ+ characters or themes. Robbins said it’s more important than ever to make these types of books accessible to everyone. “Fiction teaches us how to dream,” she noted. “It teaches us how to connect with people who aren’t like us, it teaches us how to listen and show compassion.” She’s shipped 740 books so far, each box worth $300 to $400 depending on the title. More here.

(More LGBTQ stories.)