Experts discuss rise in book bans that disproportionally affect LGBTQ titles

Panelists at an ABA webinar on librarian rights and censorship of books about the LGBTQ community agreed that lawyers could do more to help raise awareness about the issue. Stephen Wermiel, professor of practice in constitutional law at American University Washington College of Law, said there is a need to raise awareness because of misrepresentations in the book ban debate about the harms of exposure to LGBTQ-related materials. “I think educating people and using … lawyers in the communities to fight back and really to just disseminate accurate information to put out fires is a critical role,” Wermiel said.