Investigation reveals UK schools are banning LGBT+ books after complaints from parents

LGBT+ books are being banned from UK schools after complaints from parents, librarians have revealed.

A six-month investigation by Index on Censorship, the results of which have been shared exclusively with The Independent, found that 53 per cent of UK school librarians polled had been asked to remove literature and in more than half of those cases books were taken off shelves.

The snapshot survey found that more than two dozen librarians had experienced such censorship, with one saying they had been told to remove every book with an LGBT+ theme after a single complaint from one parent about one book.

The responses revealed that specific titles removed from school libraries included This Book Is Gay, by Juno Dawson, a memoir about a young person discovering their sexual identity; Julián is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love, a picture book about a gender non-conforming boy who dreams of being a mermaid; and the alphabet book ABC Pride, by Louie Stowell, Elly Barnes and Amy Phelps, which introduces young readers to the alphabet while they learn more about the LGBT+ community.

LGBT+ charities, MPs and authors have warned the move represents a worrying regression on gay rights, “returning us to that world of prejudice that most of us thought we had moved on from”. Former MP Elliot Colburn, who received homophobic death threats while serving in Parliament, said preventing children from accessing material that speaks to their experiences represented a “clear and present danger to young LGBT+ people”.

Simon James Green, one of the UK's leading writers of LGBT+ teenage fiction, had his visit to a Catholic secondary school in south London cancelled in 2022 and was subsequently trolled online, including being told he “deserved to die and burn in hell”.

“Fast forward two years and it feels to me like we’re in an even more precarious position” he told Index. “The publicity the banning brought means librarians often want to talk to me about censorship issues, and many of them have been receiving more pushback about LGBTQ+ library books than ever before."

Librarians, many of whom requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said they worried about losing their jobs if they did not comply with book removals. Surveyed staff described defying bans by handing out “off-the-record loans” from a back cupboard, a parent trying to get them sacked because their child had been reading an LGBT+ book, and senior staff telling them to keep particular books but not put them on open display.

School library worker Amy* said: “It seems that when it comes down to it, if a parent complains, the book’s gone.” Another librarian, Emma*, said she felt frightened and intimidated after one complaint led to a purge of all LGBTQ+ content from her library.

Alice Leggatt was the librarian who booked author Mr Green for The John Fisher School in south London in 2022, an event that was cancelled by the Catholic church that branded it “outside the scope of what is permissible”.

“Pretty much every librarian I’ve spoken with says this is more of an issue than it was five years ago, and they’re concerned about it in a way they never had to think about it before,” Ms Leggatt told The Independent. “But we don’t really have anything with teeth to help defend school librarians, their collections and their students when these things happen.

“We are about different perspectives, that’s our whole ethos. I worry about that being curtailed. Now it’s LGBTQ+ books, next week it could be something else.”

There are no statutory requirements for schools to provide libraries so it is left up to schools to decide how best to do so. The government is facing calls for more support for staff put in difficult positions and new guidance to deal with complaints.

Another librarian who spoke to Index as part of the survey – distributed via the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the School Library Association (SLA) – raised concerns about the influence of agitator groups who protested against Drag Queen Story Hour in libraries and “seem to be getting their scripts from the American playbook”.

The US has an organised system of book challenging that involves bans and burnings and is spearheaded by the right, with the American Library Association’s (ALA) latest report showing 4,240 different books targeted last year.

A spokesperson for Stonewall told The Independent: “It is troubling to see reports LGBTQ+ books are being removed from school libraries as we know that many students find great importance and reassurance in seeing themselves reflected in books and media. Preventing LGBTQ+ young people from seeing themselves represented in inclusive resources and books at school can often make them feel ashamed and feel the need to hide who they are.

“Schools [must] ensure that all young people have access to inclusive educational materials and books that represent the world we live in and the communities everyone is a part of.”

Laura Mackay, CEO of LGBTQ+ young people’s charity Just Like Us, added: “This small-scale study shows some worrying cases of fears around LGBT+ books in school libraries, but removing books will never change the fact that LGBT+ people, including same-sex parents, are part of society.

“The recent rise in far-right attitudes and fears stoked around trans young people make life so much harder for LGBT+ young people, particularly those of colour. Homophobia and transphobia are still an issue in many spheres of British life. It’s vital that young people can access books that reflect the diversity of the world around them.”

Politicians from across the political spectrum expressed deep concern over the reports of censorship spreading to the UK, even if so far it appears to be on a smaller scale.

Mr Colburn, who served as Tory MP for Carshalton and Wallington from 2019 until this year, called on the new Labour government in the UK to create fresh guidance to empower schools in the face of sometimes “aggressive” complaints.

And former Labour MP Ben Bradshaw told The Independent: “These reports are worrying. They fit a pattern of regression on LGBTQ+ human rights under the last government. All young people should be able to access age-appropriate books, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. I hope the new government will make that clear to schools.”

The Department for Education declined to comment.

*Names have been changed.