How One Queer Friendly Book Club Thrives in the Era of Book Bans

For generations, LGBTQ+ stories have been the target of censorship efforts. Did you know that early organizing against obscenity laws to make LGBTQ+ stories accessible laid the foundation of the Queer Liberation Movement? Today, the Gray Wills Book Club in Buffalo, New York, is a brave space to examine book-banning efforts and how the power of literacy can reverse the effects of oppression on Black and Queer folk.

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Welcome to Brave Spaces, an eight-part video series hosted by Devin-Norelle, a model, trans educator and writer, here to share stories of triumph, transformation and celebration! In the face of policies designed to exclude queer folk, they are shattering barriers and claiming their own spaces: from book clubs resisting efforts to erase their stories, to sports leagues making competition accessible to all! Join zim as we meet courageous heroes who have stood up to centuries of hate in order to shape a world where love always wins. These are more than just safe spaces. These are Brave Spaces.


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[pbsvoices]

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[TheAverycross]

Thank you so much for sharing this segment. I'm very glad that "Brave Spaces" and book clubs like the Gray Wills Book Club exist to keep both ideas and conversations, especially about LGBTQ+ people of color, alive. And *continuing* to fight to keep them alive:)

[Sad_Bumper_Sticker]

I’ve been planning to read „Not all boys are blue” for months, thank you PBS for talking about the book and its importance.

[starryJulyNIghtSky]

Thanks for making more content about recent book bannings, as a transgender student fighting them in my district it feels amazing seeing pbs my main source of entertainment support keeping books and talking about this issue- keep it up!

[nickc]

I just learned about the CIA’s (often successful) efforts in the 20th century to change literary tastes across the world to make sure revolutions never started. What constitutes “good storytelling” today was largely manufactured by the Agency’s CCF.

[jacqueshardin]

Please consider an episode about webcomics. One of my favorites, the Glass Scientists, is a queer retelling of the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In later chapters, I was surprised to see issues of racism and colorism be brought up as well. For context, this version has Lanyon as a gay biracial man of color and is in a lavender marriage. Also, Jekyll/Hyde is bisexual and did and do have feelings for eachother. I highly recommend it!

[safaiaryu]

Awesome, awesome video. Thank you for that bit about the Brooklyn Public Library, I live in Texas and did not know that. I will be perusing their collection.

I'm not Black, but I am queer, and more and more lately I find myself gravitating towards authors and literature that reflect my queer experience. There's a legitimate critique to be made that I'm sitting in an echo chamber, but when the world feels like it's turning against you, there is something so incredibly comforting to read books that say, "You are valid and you are loved."

On the other hand, I've also found myself reading much more literature by and about people of color as well. I went to a liberal high school, but even then, almost 20 years ago, the majority of literature we read was by white, western authors. I'm tired of it. There's so much value in diversity, in supporting artists who are different from you and through them, learning new points of view.

There's a study somewhere that said that people who read more tend to have more empathy. And reading about an experience different from your own opens your mind. That's exactly why book bans are so incredibly dangerous.

[Theballonist]

Always love to see nonbinary people just living their lives. <3 more of this please

[merlapittman]

Books are magic. I'm not sure I'd have survived without books

[melaniescott]

Govt funded propaganda. Way to go Libs.

[bardika]

Age appropriate curriculum is not banning books. Smh

[jjc]

Removing books that show children fellating an adult toy that another child has put on is not “censorship”, it’s “not sexualizing children by removing porn from schools”.

[ruthgoldman]

Fantastic first show! Can't wait to see the next episode. Go Buffalo and WNED!

[springsummerwinterorfall]

How do you get upstairs if you’re in a wheelchair! Prejudice

[samwill]

If a book is banned in your country, then you should absolutley be reading that book

[HolgaGonzalez]

Please leave children ALONE don’t dirty them

[katemoon]

Please let’s help preserve the innocence of children and teens 🙏🙏🙏 they are our future. Once adults, they are free to choose what they would like to read. Please 😢😔 children are helpless, some think they have to please adults. Please 😢😔 Consider parents who wish to guide their children. Please 😢😔😰

[Mrstreet]

This is not banning books it’s protecting children from folks that put their sexuality before anything else

[Faith_]

There is no ban on books it’s a ban on sexually explicit books in the school libraries ! I wonder how people would feel if we brought a priest to read the Bible to children at public schools ? What do you think people would say if We pushed that on children in school ?

[alicemorrison]

This makes me want to join a book club!!!! ❤❤❤❤