The context of America when Mr. Trump made a statement recognizing only two genders

Mr. Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders on January 20. Photo: Reuters.

Just taking office, US President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders. Among them, the regulation recognizing only two immutable genders: male and female, has sparked much controversy.

In fact, Mr. Trump’s decree was issued in the context of the United States becoming increasingly radicalized regarding LGBT content, in which cultural products about this community are being criticized more and more harshly. Extremists are demanding that books with LGBT content be removed from school libraries. Others are fighting against these bans.

Wave of LGBT book bans

In April 2024, the American Library Association (ALA) released its annual list of the 10 most criticized books of 2023, largely for their LGBTQ-related content.

Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer tops the list for the third year in a row. The graphic memoir, which chronicles the author’s experiences with sexuality and gender from childhood to adulthood, has been criticized for its LGBTQ content. Some have even claimed it’s pornographic. Other books on the list, such as All Boys Aren’t Blue and This Book is Gay , have faced similar accusations.

“At ALA, we are fighting for the freedom to choose what you want to read,” American Library Association President Emily Drabinski said in a statement.

In 2023, the American Library Association recorded 4,240 good books being placed on restricted or banned lists in libraries and schools, a record 65% increase from 2022 and the highest number recorded by ALA since it began collecting relevant data more than 20 years ago.

Books about the LGBT community are often on the banned list in American school libraries. Photo: LA Times.

Also according to the Harvard Gazette , getting books about LGBT issues into the hands of young readers is becoming more difficult with the rise of book bans across the United States. “My books are now banned in many states that ban the discussion of gender identity,” said Schuyler Bailar, author of Obie is Man Enough , a 2021 novel about a transgender middle school swimmer.

“These book bans have a huge impact on authors, but I think they impact kids more. Our stories aren’t reaching the kids who need to read them,” Bailar said.

Strong and rapid action by conservative voices

Across the United States, which books should be included in classrooms and libraries has become the focus of debate among educators, librarians, parents, and politicians.

The U.S. Supreme Court last week agreed to hear a request from religious parents to bar their children from attending Montgomery County, Maryland, public schools that kept LGBT-themed books. The parents argued that the books conflicted with their Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim beliefs.

The Supreme Court, with its conservative majority (6-3), has steadily expanded the rights of religious people in recent years, including on LGBT issues. In 2023, for example, the court ruled that some businesses have the right to refuse to provide services for same-sex weddings.

These challenges reflect political and social tensions around acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, said Michael Bronski, professor of women, gender and sexuality.

“We’ve made tremendous progress [on LGBTQ+ rights], but the book bans, the bans on transgender shows, the attacks on abortion, on transgender youth, are efforts that are, arguably, ultimately coming from conservative voices,” Bronski said.

While the number of books targeted has increased, that doesn’t reflect increased opposition from parents. Rather, it’s a change in tactics by conservative groups.

According to 2023 data from The Washington Post , 11 people filed 60% of petitions to ban/restrict books nationwide. Previously, petitions typically referred to single books. But since 2022, a single petition has typically referred to multiple titles. 40% of petitions request bans of 100 or more books.

The main reason for the LGBTQ books being filed is primarily allegations of sexual content, but many of the petitions also state the intention of preventing children from reading about LGBTQ people and their lives, according to The Washington Post .

“I think they are a very vocal minority that is looking to weaponize book banning laws,” said Mr. Bronski, referring to book banning laws in states such as Florida, Utah and Missouri.

Bailar just wants society to be more open to the experiences of the LGBTQ community. Photo: Harvard Gazette.

“The main purpose of these laws is to remove the visible presence of homosexuals. Although this is an impossible task, they create instability and affect society’s perception of the LGBTQ community,” Mr. Bronski said.

In a 2023 Gallup poll, acceptance of LGBTQ people dropped by 7% among both Democrats and Republicans. Just 41% of Republicans supported LGBTQ people, down from 56% a year ago.

Bailar, whose book He/She/They: How We Talk about Gender and Why It Matters comes out in fall 2023, just hopes society will become more accepting of the LGBTQ community’s experiences.

“We know that when children are not allowed to be themselves or if they have to hide their identity, it is harmful to them. When we affirm children’s identities, we can actually save their lives,” Bailar said.

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