LIST: Oregon libraries see record number of book ban requests in 2023-2024
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon libraries and schools saw a record number of requests to ban or restrict books in public libraries within the past year, the State Library of Oregon says.
The State received 151 book challenges in public libraries, schools and colleges between July of 2023 and June of 2024, data provided by the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse shows. The previous record was 93, set during the 2022-2023 school year.
The State Library of Oregon defines a book “challenge” as: “Any attempt to remove or restrict access to a library material, service, or program based on the objection of a person or group.”
In total, people challenged 116 books, 30 graphic novels, two magazines, two videos and one pamphlet in Oregon libraries within the last year. The most common complaints against the books stated that they had “sexually explicit or pornographic” material or “included content about people who are two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, or other identities related to sexual orientation or gender identity,” the State Library of Oregon said. Other challenges included complaints about profanity or that books were unsuited for the age groups they were written for.
Oregon State Librarian Wendy Cornelisen said that the State Library of Oregon is committed to supporting libraries, schools and their staff during a “continuing surge” of “attempts to restrict the free flow of information.” Despite the complaints, Cornelisen said that Oregon libraries will continue to offer a diverse range of books for all readers.
“Library and education staff in Oregon have once again shown that they are on the front lines of defending the intellectual freedom rights guaranteed to us all by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article I, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution,” Cornelisen said. “In the face of fierce opposition and threats, these dedicated folks continue their work to ensure that everyone no matter their background sees their own experiences reflected in their school and library collections.”
Roughly 72% of all the books and other materials challenged in the last year were retained, the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse 2024 Report states. Roughly 18% were restricted or removed and more remain under review. The most challenged books in Oregon libraries during the 2023-2024 school year included: “Beyond Magenta” by Susan Kuklin, “Flamer” by Mike Curato and “Heartstopper Vol. 1” by Alice Oseman.
Here's a look at all challenged materials:
| Item | Objection(s) | Item by or about protected class(es)? | Initiator | Location | Result |
| 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Ewing and Pau Morgan | 2SLGBTQIA+, Viewpoint | Yes | Community member/group | Public Library | Retained |
| Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie | Sex/nudity, prejudice/discrimination | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Advocate by Equal Entertainment LLC (Magazine) | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely | Sex/nudity, profanity, violence/abuse | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson | Sex/nudity | Yes | Administrator | School | Removed |
| All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson | Sex/nudity, unsuited to age group | Yes | Administrator | School | Removed |
| American Story by Kwame Alexander and Dare Coulter | Other (inaccurate, incomplete) | Yes | Community member/group | Public library | Retained |
| And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell and Henry Cole | Sex/nudity | Yes | Community member/group | Public library | Retained |
| Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro | 2SLGBTQIA+, profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Ban This Book by Alan Gratz | Unknown | No | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin | 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Community member/group | School | Under review |
| Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin | Sex/nudity, profanity, viewpoint | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin | Sex/nudity, unsuited to age group | Yes | Administrator | School | Retained |
| Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin | Unknown | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Billie Eilish by Billie Eilish | Unknown | No | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Breakaways by Cathy G Johnson (Graphic novel) | 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Calvin by JR Ford, Vanessa Ford and Kayla Harren | 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Celebrate Your Body (And Its Changes, Too!): The Ultimate Puberty Book for Girls by Sonya Renee Taylor and Cait Brennan | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | Public library | Retained |
| Celebrate Your Body (And Its Changes, Too!): The Ultimate Puberty Book for Girls by Sonya Renee Taylor and Cait Brennan | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | Public library | Restricted |
| Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas | 2SLGBTQIA+, profanity, unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu (Graphic novel) | Sex/nudity, profanity, unsuited to age group | Yes | Administrator | School | Restricted |
| Church for All by Gayle E. Pitman and Laure Fournier | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public Library | Retained |
| Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Mass | Sex/nudity, unsuited to age group | No | Community member/group | Public Library | Under review |
| Dark Maidens by Rikako Akiyoshi and Kristi Fernandez (Graphic novel) | Unknown | No | Patron | Public Library | Retained |
| Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public Library | Retained |
| Do Animals Fall in Love by Katharine von der Gathen, Anke Kuhl and Shelley Tanaka | Sex/nudity, violence/abuse, profanity, unsuited to age group | No | Patron | Public Library | Retained |
| Drowning Summer by Christine Lynn Herman | 2SLGBTQIA+, profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Eighth Grade Gay-Straight Alliance by Daniel Micko | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Essential Sex Education Book for Parents: Guided Conversations to Have With Your Teens and Tweens by Daniel Rice | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappe | Viewpoint | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender | Alcohol/drug use, sex/nudity, 2SLGBTQIA+, profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Flamer by Mike Curato (Graphic novel) | 2SLGBTQIA+, unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | School | Removed |
| Flamer by Mike Curato (Graphic novel) | Sex/nudity | Yes | Administrator | School | Retained |
| Flamer by Mike Curato (Graphic novel) | Sex/nudity, unsuited to age group | Yes | Administrator | School | Retained |
| Flamer by Mike Curato (Graphic novel) | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Freestyle by Gale Galligan and K Czap (Graphic novel) | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| GayBCs: A Queer Alphabet by Rae Congdon | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Gender Identity for Kids: A Book About Finding Yourself, Understanding Others, and Respecting Everybody by Andy Passchier | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe and Phoebe Kobabe (graphic novel) | Alcohol/drug use, 2SLGBTQIA+, Sex/nudity, Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | Public library | Restricted |
| Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe and Phoebe Kobabe (graphic novel) | Sex/nudity, Unsuited to age group | Yes | Community member/group | School | Under review |
| Gender Rebels: 30 Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Expansive Heroes Past and Present by Katherine Lock and Shanee Benjamin | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag and Maarta Laiho (graphic novel) | 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Girl's Guide to Becoming a Teen by American Medical Association | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan | 2SLGBTQIA+, profanity, unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Glad Glad Bear by Kimberly Gee | 2SLGBTQIA+, Unsuited to age group, viewpoint | Yes | Family member | Public library | Retained |
| Glass by Ellen Hopkins | Alcohol/drug use, sex/nudity | No | Community member/group | School | Under review |
| Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls | Sex/nudity, profanity, violence/abuse | No | Family member | School | Retained |
| Grandad's Camper by Harry Woodgate | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Guru by RuPaul | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Hate U Give by Angie Thomas | Sex/nudity, profanity, violence/abuse, viewpoint | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Hate U Give by Angie Thomas | Sex/nudity, profanity, violence/abuse, | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Heartstopper Vol. 1 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) | 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Heartstopper Vol. 1 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) | Sex/nudity, 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity, Mental distress, Violence/abuse | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Heartstopper Vol. 1 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family Member | School | Retained |
| Heartstopper Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) | 2SLGBTQIA+, profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Heartstopper Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) | Sex/nudity, 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity, Mental distress, Violence/abuse | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Heartstopper Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) | 2SLGBTQIA+, profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Heartstopper Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) | Sex/nudity, 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity, Mental distress, Violence/abuse | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) | 2SLGBTQIA+, profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) | Sex/nudity, 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity, Mental distress, Violence/abuse | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Hidden Brilliance: Unlocking the Intelligence of Autism by Lynn Kern Koegel and Claire Scovell LaZebnik | Prejudice/discrimination | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Lil Miss Hot Mess and Olga de Dios | 2SLGBTQIA+, Unsuited to age group, Viewpoint | Yes | Family member | Public library | Retained |
| Honey and Me by Meira Drazin | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez | Alcohol/drug use, Sex/nudity | Yes | Family member | School | Removed |
| Icebreaker by Hannah Grace | Sex/nudity, Unsuited to age group | No | Family member | School | Removed |
| If You're a Drag Queen and You Know it by Lil Miss Hot Mess and Olga de Dios | 2SLGBTQIA+, Unsuited to age group, Viewpoint | Yes | Family member | Public Library | Retained |
| Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli | Alcohol/drug use | Yes | Community member / group | School | Under review |
| In the Key of Us by Mariama Lockington | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| It Feels Good to be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn and Noah Grigni | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights by Karen Blumenthal | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli | 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity, Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| LGBTQ+ Sex Ed: Shame-Free by Portland State University [Pamphlet] | Sex/nudity, 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | School | Restricted |
| Looking for Alaska by John Green | Sex/nudity, Unsuited to age group | No | Community member / group | Public library | Under review |
| Looking for Alaska by John Green | Violence/abuse | No | Community member / group | School | Under review |
| Love is an Illusion Vol. 1 by Fargo [Graphic novel] | Sex/nudity, Violence/abuse | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Making a Baby: An Inclusive Guide to How Every Family Begins by Rachel Greener and Clare Owen | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Making a Baby: An Inclusive Guide to How Every Family Begins by Rachel Greener and Clare Owen | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | Public library | Retained |
| Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews | Sex/nudity, Profanity | No | Community member/group | School | Under review |
| Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo [Graphic novel] | 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler | Prejudice/discrimination | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Melissa (formerly George) by Alex Gino | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Mengele: Unmasking the "Angel of Death" by David G. Marwell | Unknown | No | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Milk by Gus Van Sant [Video] | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Molly and the Twin Towers: A 9/11 Survival Story by Jessika Fleck and Jane Pica | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | School | Restricted |
| Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| My Brother’s Husband Vol. 1 by Gengoroh Tagame and Anne Ishii [Graphic novel] | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| My Own Way: Celebrating Gender Freedom for Kids by Joana Estrela and Jay Hulme | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror & Delight by Shelly Page and Alex Brown | Sex/nudity, Unsuited to age group | Yes | Administrator | School | Retained |
| Old Enough by Haley Jakobson | Sex/nudity, Unsuited to age group | Yes | Community member/group | School | Under review |
| Other Boy by M. G. Hennessey | 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity, Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales by Melanie Gillman [Graphic novel] | Viewpoint, Other ("disturbing content and satanic themes") | Yes | Patron | Public library | Under review |
| Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America by Amy Lynn Reed | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Out by Here Media [Magazine] | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud | Unsuited to age group, Violence/ abuse | No | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Own Your Period by Chella Quint and Giovana Medeiros | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | Public library | Retained |
| Perfect by Ellen Hopkins | Alcohol/drug use | No | Community member / group | School | Under review |
| Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky | Viewpoint, Alcohol/drug use, Sex/nudity, Violence/abuse, 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Pride and Joy: A Story about Becoming an LGBTQIA+ Ally by Frank J. Sileo, Kate LumPotvin and Emmi Smid | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Pride Colors by Robin Stevenson and Liz Kemp | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk by Rob Sanders and Steven Salerno | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Community member / group | Public library | Retained |
| Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang [Graphic novel] | 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Pronoun Book by Chris AyalaKronos and Melita Tirado | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Puberty Is Gross but Also Really Awesome by Gina Loveless and Lauri Johnston | Unsuited to age group | No | Family member | Public library | Retained |
| Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager and Zoë More O'Ferrall | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Rainbow Bridge by Steve Orlando, Steve Foxe, Valentina Brancati and Manuel Puppo | Unknown | No | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Rick by Alex Gino | 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Rick by Alex Gino | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Samhain Explained: The Celtic Origins of Halloween by Irish Myths [Video] | Viewpoint | Yes | Family member | School | Removed |
| Say Her Name by Zetta Elliott and Loveis Wise | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Seeing Gender: An Illustrated Guide to Gender Identity and Expression by Iris Gottlieb | Sex/nudity, 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth [Graphic novel] | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen | 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity, Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli | Sex/nudity, 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Slay by Brittney Morris | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Smoke by Ellen Hopkins | Sex/nudity | No | Community member/group | School | Under rview |
| Sold by Patricia McCormick | Sex/nudity, Profanity, Violence/abuse | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming of Age Story by Stacey Chomiak | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Stonewall Riots: Making a Stand for LGBTQ Rights by Archie Bongiovanni and A. Andrews [Graphic novel] | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien | Sex/nudity, Profanity, Violence/ abuse | No | Family member | School | Retained |
| This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender | Sex/nudity, 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Removed |
| This is Our Rainbow by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Community member / group | Public library | Retained |
| Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff | 2SLGBTQIA+ | Yes | Family member | School | Retained |
| Trans +: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You by Kathryn Gonzales, Karen Rayne, Anne Passchier and Nyk Rayne | Sex/nudity, Unsuited to age group | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Trans Mission: My Quest to a Beard by Alex Bertie | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Tricks by Ellen Hopkins | Sex/nudity | Yes | Community member / group | School | Under review |
| True You: A Gender Journey by Gwen Agna and Shelley Rotner | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Unknown (Identified only as "biography about Barack Obama") | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Unknown (Identified only as "biography about Barack Obama") | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Unknown (Identified only as "juvenile RuPaul book") | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Under review |
| Unknown (Identified only as "MG graphic novel") | Sexism | Unknown | Family member | School | Removed |
| We Need to Talk about Vaginas: An Important Book about Vulvas, Periods, Puberty, and Sex! by Allison K. Rodgers and Annika Le Large | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Family member | Public library | Restricted |
| What is a Refugee? by Elise Gravel | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| What is Juneteenth? by Kirsti Jewel and Manuel Gutierrez | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff and Kaylani Juanita | Sex/nudity | Yes | Community member / group | Public library | Retained |
| When Children Come Out: A Guide for Christian Parents by Mark A. Yarhouse and Olya Zaporozhets | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Who Are You? The Kid's Guide to Gender Identity by Brook Pessin-Whedbee and Naomi Bardoff | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Who Are You? The Kid's Guide to Gender Identity by Brook Pessin-Whedbee and Naomi Bardoff | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |
| Who Has What? All About Girls' and Boys' Bodies by Robie H. Harris | Sex/nudity | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Who Has What? All About Girls' and Boys' Bodies by Robie H. Harris | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Community member / group | Public library | Retained |
| Who is Kamala Harris? by Kirsten Anderson and Manuel Gutierrez | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan | 2SLGBTQIA+, Profanity | Yes | Family member | School | Restricted |
| Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Wrong Side of the Court by H. N. Khan | Unknown | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Young Men in Love: A Queer Romance Anthology by Joe Glass and Matt Miner [Graphic novel] | Unsuited to age group | Yes | Patron | Public library | Retained |
| Your Gender Book: Helping You to be You by Ben Pechey and Sam Prentice | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Public library | Retained |