In an increasingly divisive political sphere, Becka Robbins focuses on what she knows best—books. Operating out of a tiny room in Fabulosa Books in San Francisco's Castro District, one of the oldest gay neighborhoods in the United States, Robbins uses donations from customers to ship boxes of books across the country to groups that want them, per the AP. In an effort she calls "Books Not Bans," she sends titles about queer history, sexuality, romance, and more—many of which are increasingly hard to come by in the face of a rapidly growing movement by conservative advocacy groups and lawmakers to ban them from public schools and libraries. "The book bans are awful, the attempt at erasure," Robbins said. She asked herself how she could get these books into the hands of the people who need them the most.
Beginning last May, she started 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 notes of support to include in the packages. Book bans and attempted bans have been hitting record highs, according to the American Library Association. The most sweeping challenges often originate with conservative organizations, such as Moms for Liberty, which has organized banning 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 were in Florida, more than any other state.
Behind Florida are Texas and Missouri, per a report by the nonprofit PEN America. And the efforts now extend as much to public libraries as school-based libraries. PEN America's report said 30% of the bans include characters of color or discuss race and racism, and 30% have LGBTQ+ characters or themes. Robbins said it's more important than ever to makes these kinds of books available to everyone. "Fiction teaches us how to dream," she noted. "It teaches us how to connect with people who are not like ourselves, it teaches us how to listen and emphasize." She's sent 740 books so far, each box worth $300 to $400, depending on the titles. More here.
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