More than 30 celebrities have joined an auction to keep censorship out of education by fighting against book bans.
Pride and Less Prejudice (PLP) is hosting its fourth annual #BannedTogether virtual auction this weekend with the goal of raising $20,000 to send 1,600 free LGBTQ-inclusive books to elementary schools across the United States. The group has raised more than $250,000 since 2019, donating over 16,000 LGBTQ-inclusive books to Pre-K through 3rd grade classrooms in all 50 states.
This year’s auction features items and experiences donated by celebrities such as singer Janelle Monáe, actor Daniel Radcliffe, interior designer Bobby Berk, tennis legend Billie Jean King, singer Jason Mraz, rapper Big Freedia, drag queen Jinkx Monsoon, drag queen BenDeLaCreme, drag queen Latrice Royale, actress Lily Tomlin, musician Sara Bareilles, comedian Hannah Gadsby, comedian Margaret Cho, author Casey McQuiston, and many more.
“I’m thrilled to support Pride and Less Prejudice in their mission to bring LGBTQ+ inclusive books into classrooms and early education centers,” Big Freedia tells The Advocate. “As a young gay boy in New Orleans during the 80s, having access to a book that addressed these themes or featured LGBTQ+ characters would have profoundly impacted my life!”
The virtual auction coincides with Banned Books Week, an annual event calling attention to challenged book titles. More than 10,000 books were banned from public schools in the 2023-2024 academic year, nearly triple the number from the previous year, according to a recent report from PEN America.
“In 2023, the American Library Association saw a 65 percent increase in the number of titles targeted for censorship compared to 2022, with a focus on books by and about LGBTQ+ people and people of color,” Pride and Less Prejudice founder Lisa Forman said in a statement. “Pride and Less Prejudice is committed to ensuring that students have access to LGBTQ-inclusive books at school and in their libraries to see themselves and their families represented.”