Finding the Helpers
The Rainbow Defense Coalition and Books Not Bans work to ensure LGBTQ+ stories remain accessible.
When the rise in censorship begins to feel overwhelming, we like to take a page out of Mr. Rogers’ book and look for the helpers. There are so many individuals and organizations across the country that are pushing back on censorship and their determination inspires us. In honor of Pride month, we wanted to highlight two of those organizations.
Book bans have disproportionally impacted LGBTQ+ voices. PEN America reports that 64% of banned picture books in the 2023-2024 school year had pictures or illustrations that depict LGBTQ+ characters or stories.
We’re excited to introduce you to the Rainbow Defense Coalition DMV and Books Not Bans, two organizations that are working to ensure LGBTQ+ stories remain accessible.
Rainbow Defense Coalition DMV
With rainbow umbrellas, music, and bubbles, the Rainbow Defense Coalition (RDC) helps children and families feel safe attending Drag Queen Story Hours across the D.C. Metropolitan Area (DMV).
After a local Drag Story Hour was disrupted by protestors, Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink, one of the co-founders of RDC, wanted to help. “I reached out to the organizers to see if I could bring in other friends with experience in nonviolent community defense and start recruiting and training volunteers. They were fully on board, so that’s what we did.” Within a few days they formed the Rainbow Defense Coalition.
Drag Story Hours aim to give children an opportunity to learn about creativity, freedom of expression, and bodily autonomy with story books. To ensure the community has the opportunity to attend these events uninterrupted, RDC brings volunteers together to create a physical barrier from protestors. Ramona Signal, RDC Co-Organizer, shared “we generally don't engage with protesters if they show up. People passing by often ask why we are there and for what purpose, genuinely expressing curiosity. They are almost always supportive once we explain our role.”
By using joy to overcome hate, RDC creates a safe space for attendees. Signal told us about an individual who was nervous to attend an event but ultimately came once they found out RDC would be there. “Our presence made someone feel safe and protected enough to enter a queer space. That is what RDC was formed to do, and it was so wonderful to hear that story.”
Jonathan Tuttle, a longtime RDC volunteer, shared what being involved has meant to him. “I am honored to defend my community and to make someone feel safer, and it's not something I could do by myself. RDC's many volunteers make it possible. What we do gives people hope. It gives me a way to create hope.”
Interested in supporting the Rainbow Defense Coalition? They are always in need of more volunteers to join their efforts in DC. If you live outside of the area, you can help by sharing the call for volunteers online or with your network. You can also donate directly here (please mention RDC in the comment section).
Books Not Bans
Books Not Bans is a San Francisco based nonprofit that sends queer and banned books to states and rural areas where access to these stories is limited. The organization’s founder, Becka Robbins, started Books Not Bans while working at an LGBTQ bookstore in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco, a popular tourist destination for queer and trans people from around the world. “I saw visitors gaze in awe at the huge wall of LGBTQIS books. People told me repeatedly that they had never seen so many queer books, that they didn’t know there were this many queer books at all.”
Robbins recalls one visitor in particular, a teenage boy from a small town in middle America who was “frozen in place, who turned to me and said ‘So … all these books are gay?’ I said yes. He spent the next hour touching books, pulling one after another off the shelves. He hugged me. It was moving. It also told me that there was a tremendous need for these books.”
Feeling inspired, Robbins set up a display in the store asking customers to donate queer books to communities in need around the country. “Truly, I expected to send about 50 books a year. That’s not what happened.”
To date, Books Not Bans has sent 2,245 books to 25 organizations in 16 states. The organizations they’ve partnered with include youth groups, rural Pride organizations, drag story hours, rural bookmobiles, community centers and more. Robbins says, “I’ve been lucky to get to know some of our recipients, and I’m so proud of the work they’re doing in the face of challenging and restrictive landscapes. Even in San Francisco, we have to push back against queer and trans erasure, and push for inclusion and visibility. It is much, much harder almost anywhere else.”
As Books not Bans continues to grow, Robbins hopes “to be a force multiplier in the market for LGBT books. If publishers are making more money on queer lit, they’ll publish more of it. Queer books are for everyone. There are so many, many ways that queer narratives can make a person more free to be their true self.”
Interested in helping Books Not Bans with their mission? They are looking for volunteers and remote help is welcome. If you can provide help with social media, grant writing, or leading an online queer book club, they’d love to hear from you. You can also donate directly to their efforts here.