Publishers Reject More Queer Books Amid Surge in US Book Bans and Anti-LGBTQ+ Climate

Publishers in the United States are increasingly rejecting manuscripts with LGBTQ+ themes, especially those aimed at children and young adults, in response to a surge in book bans and a political climate hostile to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This shift follows the return of Donald Trump to the presidency, with authors and agents citing explicit concerns from editors about placing queer stories on shelves.

PEN America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting free expression, documented 6, 870 book bans during the 2024-2025 school year across 23 states and 87 public school districts, affecting nearly 4, 000 unique titles. Since 2021, the group has tracked nearly 23, 000 bans overall, with books by LGBTQ+ authors, authors of color, and those addressing themes of gender, sexuality, racism, and history being disproportionately targeted. PEN America describes this censorship as "rampant and common, "noting that LGBTQ+ representation is often mischaracterized as "sexually explicit"even in children's picture books like "And Tango Makes Three" and "Uncle Bobby’s Wedding".

The American Library Association reinforced these findings in its April 2025 report, revealing that seven of the top 10 most challenged books featured LGBTQ+ characters, including memoirs like "All Boys Aren’t Blue" by George M. Johnson and "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe, both by LGBTQ+ authors. These bans have created a chilling effect on the publishing industry, where editors now cite difficulties in acquiring queer titles due to retailer hesitancy and fear of controversy.

Literary professionals have shared direct experiences of this retreat. Rebecca Podos, a senior literary agent at Rees Literary Agency and author of young adult novels, stated, “This is the first year in like a decade that I’ve had responses from editors specifically citing that it’s difficult to place queer books in stores, and they’re being selective about acquiring queer stories. ” Young adult novelist Dahlia Adler, creator of LGBTQ Reads, noted that publishers are favoring "safely going to go on shelves, that are not going to get banned, that are not going to have this kind of controversy." Author Adib Khorram, known for "Darius the Great Is Not Okay", reported a 70 percent drop in royalties amid the bans.

Xtra Magazine highlighted in a January 14, 2026, video report that publishers rely heavily on wholesalers supplying schools and libraries, which have grown hesitant to stock LGBTQ+ titles due to bans. Queer themes are even being scrubbed from announcements in industry publications like Publishers Weekly to avoid targeting. In 2025, the US Supreme Court ruled that parents can opt their children out of reading books with queer characters or themes in public schools for religious reasons, further intensifying pressures.

LGBTQ+ authors and advocates emphasize the broader implications for community representation. Books providing visibility for transgender people, lesbian families, and gay youth are vital for fostering understanding, yet face systematic exclusion. While some booksellers report steady demand for banned titles, the upstream hesitancy in publishing threatens long-term access to affirming stories. PEN America continues to advocate against this "intolerance and exclusion, "underscoring that censorship disproportionately harms marginalized voices in literature.