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In response to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on January 20, many significant entities within the literary community have publicly denounced the policy. The executive order declares that the federal government will only acknowledge two genders, male and female, strictly defined from conception. This move has prompted a coalition of organizations—including the American Booksellers Association, Audio Publishers Association, PEN America, and many others—to collectively voice their concerns.
Below is the complete statement released by these organizations.
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Statement Regarding the Executive Order from the Trump Administration on January 20, 2025
The new executive order issued by the White House articulates a policy that recognizes only two sexes, male and female, as determined at conception. This policy is poised to create significant repercussions for public education, libraries, and the literary works available within those institutions.
The implications of this order are severe and multi-faceted, particularly for transgender, intersex, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals. This directive introduces a risk of unconstitutional censorship that could curtail the diversity of literature available for future generations. By excluding trans, intersex, and nonbinary identities, the order effectively marginalizes LGBTQIA+ literature and extends government oversight over what narratives can receive federal support, constituting a form of financial coercion. The initial exclusions will likely start with LGBTQIA+ voices, but the broader threat to the First Amendment is apparent; targeting one group’s expression invites further restrictions on all speech.
Should this order persist, it is expected to establish new restrictions regarding funding not only for federal entities but also for private individuals and organizations partnering with them. These funding criteria may be manipulated to control discourse and suppress critical voices. The chilling effect on the literary landscape could prove difficult to reverse, hampering writers who depend on support from agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts and similar state-level institutions.
Currently, transgender, nonbinary, and intersex narratives are routinely overlooked in literature, yet they face disproportionate scrutiny. Notably, during the 2022-2023 academic year, approximately 30% of banned books included LGBTQIA+ themes or characters. This form of censorship strips valuable perspectives that contribute to the richness of the American narrative. While the executive order attempts to depict LGBTQIA+ individuals as perpetrators of coercion, it is precisely the order that embodies such actions, following a concerning trend of censorship in school boards and libraries across the nation. The plight of trans, intersex, and nonbinary communities transcends political discourse; it encompasses fundamental human rights, civil liberties, and freedom of expression—issues that should resonate with all citizens.
This executive order defines censorship in its most straightforward form and has no legitimate place within a free society. It is imperative that this order be revoked or halted promptly, ideally prior to its first enforcement deadline on February 19, 2025. Financial sanctions against trans, intersex, and non-binary voices will inevitably erase essential literary contributions that remain unwritten and undermine the dignity of LGBTQIA+ individuals universally. This regression evokes a troubling echo of past periods of censorship in American history.
Respectfully submitted by the following organizations:
American Booksellers Association
American Booksellers for Free Expression
Andrews McMeel
Annie’s Foundation
Audio Publishers Association
Authors Against Book Bans
Berry Powell Press
Cardinal Rule Press
Charlesbridge Publishing
Chestnut Publishing House
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Deborah Sloan and Company and Kidsbuzz
Developmental Texts
Empowering Latino Futures
EveryLibrary
Firewater Media Group
Florida Freedom to Read Project
Foreword Reviews
Freedom to Read Project
Gryphon Publishing Consulting, LLC
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
IngramSpark
Judging by the Cover: A Bookstore
Lafayette Citizens Against Censorship
Lambda Literary
Latino 247 Media Group
Lee Wind, author
Levine Querido
Library Futures
Livingston Parish Library Alliance
Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship
Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
The National Book Critics Circle
National Coalition Against Censorship
NorthSouth Books
Nosy Crow
Patagonia
Publishers and Writers of San Diego and Orange County
PEN America
PFLAG Fresno
PubWest
Rattling Good Yarns Press
Read Freely Alabama
Red Comet Press LLC
Rutherford County Library Alliance
Sara Paretsky, Writer
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
SEAT
SparkPoint Studio
St Tammany Library Alliance
Stone Bridge Press
Texas Freedom to Read Project
Walker Books Group for Candlewick Press, Holiday House Books, and Peachtree Publishing
We Need Diverse Books
Source
www.publishersweekly.com