Over 30 celebrities are auctioning off items to battle LGBTQ+ book bans 

A charity is hosting a fundraising auction to fight book bans and expand access to LGBTQ+-inclusive books in all 50 states. Jinkx Monsoon, boygenius, Alice Oseman and Daniel Radcliffe are among the more than 30 celebrities who have donated items or fan experiences to be auctioned off.

The fourth annual Banned Together virtual auction is organized by Pride and Less Prejudice (PLP), a US-based nonprofit that provides ethnically inclusive LGBTQ+ literature to K-3 classrooms across the country. Since 2019, the charity has donated more than 16,000 books that provide an intersectional, educational look at queer life. In addition to books, the charity furnishes classroom guides, discussion topics, and other resources for teachers.

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“Every auction purchase and donation puts more books into the hands of more teachers,” the campaign’s website explains.

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To coincide with Banned Books Week, the virtual auction is being held from September 26 through the 29th. The nonprofit aims to raise $20,000 to put 1,600 more books into classrooms where they are sorely needed.

This year’s auction features contributions from over 30 celebrities, including a signed book from singer Janelle Monáe, a signed photograph from Daniel Radcliffe, a pair of tickets to the Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme holiday show, a virtual meet-and-greet with Supergirl and Yellowjackets star Nicole Maines, and a signed vinyl from rapper Big Freedia.

Other donations come from Alice Oseman, Chris Colfer, Ina Garten, boygenius, Elvira, Bobby Berk, Billie Jean King, Jason Mraz, Cody Rigsby, Lance Bass, Kristin Chenoweth, Latrice Royale, Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, Mercury Stardust, Sara Bareilles, Alan Cumming, Hannah Gadsby, Cameron Esposito, Kat Barrell, Margaret Cho, Casey McQuiston, Miss Benny, Rufus Wainwright, Lisa Ann Walter, Jess Darrow, Shaina Taub, and Maulik Pancholy.

In recent years, attacks on access to LGBTQ+ reading materials have notably spiked, making nonprofits like PLP more vital than ever. “In 2023, the American Library Association saw a 65 per cent increase in the number of titles targeted for censorship compared [with] 2022, with a focus on books by, and about, LGBTQ+ people and people of color,” PLP 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.”

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