MIAMI (CelebrityAccess) — Pop icon P!nk, a vocal ally of the LGBTQ+ movement, announced that she’s battling back against book bans in Florida by distributing thousands of newly banned titles at her Florida shows this week.
The book distributions, which have been organized in partnership with Pen American and Books and Books, will see a thousand titles distributed at each show to fans who want them.
Additionally, P!nk joined poet and activist Amanda Gorman and Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America on a recent Live Chat about the flurry of book bans occuring in states across the U.S.
According to Pen America, the number of books banned from schools and public libraries in the last year was up by 33% with 3,362 recorded instances. According to Pen America, Florida leads the way, accounting for 40% of all banned books in the 2022-2023 school year.
Books are banned for a variety of reasons, but the large majority are flagged for sexual content – primarily around LBTQ+ subjects, and books on race or racism or featuring characters of color, Pen America found.
“Did you know there have been nearly 6,000 book bans since the fall of 2021? And nearly 40% of the books bans in the last school year occurred in Florida? As a mom of two young readers, I can’t imagine letting someone else decide what MY CHILDREN can and cannot read! That’s why this week at my Miami, FL and Sunrise, FL shows, I’m partnering with @penamerica and @booksandbooks to give away banned books to the first 1,000 fans who want them at each show!,” P!nk shared via Instagram.
