Between June 2021 and June 2023, PEN America recorded 5,800 instances of school book bans across 41 states. During the 2024-2025 school year alone, the organization identified nearly 7,000 bans across 87 school districts in the United States. This is one of the most coordinated and largest censorship campaigns in U.S. history.
Interview with Joe Chianakis and Adam Scachette
Author Joe Chianakas and Peoria Public Library librarian Adam Scachette have both found themselves on the front lines of this movement, though their paths to activism began in different ways. For Chianakas, the statistics translate to immediate financial consequences. Adib Khorram, author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay, has claimed that book bans have led to a 70% drop in his royalty checks.
Rebecca Potos, an author and literary agent, told The Hill that “this is the first year in a decade that I’ve had rejection responses from editors specifically citing that it’s difficult to place queer books in stores and they’re being selective about acquiring queer stories.”
Yet despite these pressures, LGBTQ fiction and young adult literature have reached unprecedented heights. Publishers have only recently opened doors to queer representation in young adult fiction, creating what Chianakas describes as a “high watermark” for representation—just as organized efforts emerged to systematically remove these books from shelves.
“It Is Hard to Become What You Cannot See”
The core argument for LGBTQ representation extends far beyond entertainment value. “It is hard to become what you cannot see,” Chianakas said. “I’m an out educator because I’m here to represent students and I’m here to represent the queer kid in the back of the room who needs to see himself or themselves being successful, being joyful, or being a character in a story.”
Whether in the classroom or in books, Chianakas advocates for comprehensive representation. “We need to see every single type of person represented, that we deserve to see ourselves on the page because it is survival,” he said. “It’s not just entertainment. When you see yourself represented, you come alive, you figure out, I’m not alone.”
Scachette, working directly with youth as a librarian, echoes this sentiment. “Representation can’t be understated,” he said. “When a young adult is able to see themselves reflected back in media, such as books, the importance, it can’t be understated.”
“I frequently get to see kids who read that book that they really connect with and what it does for them. It almost becomes like their whole identity. Well, because it is their identity, right?”
For Chianakas, witnessing this transformation is central to his mission. “It’s the moment you flip a switch and suddenly feel seen as a reader, as a person. There is no greater joy in providing that.”
Navigating Publishing Barriers
Chianakas has encountered resistance within the publishing industry itself. “There was a moment where someone told me, ‘If you want to go this route, we cannot publish it. It would need to be an adult imprint,'” he recalled.
The concern wasn’t that the content was inappropriate, but rather that it might no longer fit traditional young adult categories. “If you start going to this area, I’m worried it’s no longer going to fall into a young adult category,” the editor reportedly said. “Well, how do we reach teens? How do we reach teens who really need those types of stories?”
His novel Darkness Calls ultimately went under an adult imprint due to its murder plotlines, though Chianakas notes the work remains deeply personal. “It’s the first book I wrote after my mom passed away, and she’s the reason I love scary stories.”
Even when publishing proceeds, Chianakas faces pressure to ration intimacy. “If I start with a great big kiss in the very first scene, then suddenly parents are already like, ‘Oh my goss, look at what this person’s doing,'” he explained. In his book Singlets and Secrets, he chose to confront the controversy head-on rather than dilute the narrative.
“The practical answer is I was told to make sure my characters are written in a way knowing that people about two to three years younger than the protagonist main age is going to be picking this up. So 12 and 13-year-olds love reading books about 16-year-olds.”
Age-Appropriateness and Access Barriers
Legislators defending book bans frequently cite age-appropriateness concerns. As a librarian, Scachette draws clear boundaries: “First and foremost, I would always defend an adult or parent, grandparent, whomever, their right to determine what their kid has access to, especially at a public library. That is between the youth and their adult. But that’s also where I draw the line. You don’t get to determine that for everybody else.”
The argument that books remain accessible elsewhere through bookstores ignores economic realities. “Now we’re getting into access barriers,” Scachette said. “When I hear that, what I think of is that basically the youth that should have access to that information are the ones who have money, and that is not okay.”
Chianakas agrees, noting the educational necessity of these conversations. “Do you want them Googling this and seeing what pops up online? Or how about we make space in our literature to talk about queer sex so that people are being educated on it appropriately and safely? That’s where we can make a really big difference and an impact with our books.”
Recent controversies illustrate the problem. One local superintendent overrode unanimous media specialist recommendations to ban an award-winning children’s picture book, claiming expertise on what constituted appropriate imagery. Chianakas criticized what he called “authoritarianism of one person having all the answers.”
“At a gas station,” Chianakas quipped when the host described the book being placed behind the desk rather than openly shelved. “These aren’t adult magazines.”
Double Standards in Practice
The disparity becomes apparent when comparing treatment of queer content versus straight content. Chianakas points to the fundamental inconsistency: “It’s okay when two straight cis kids do it, but if queer kids do it, suddenly it’s x-rayed and it can’t be seen anywhere.”
Scachette witnessed this firsthand when a parent challenged his Pride Month comic book display featuring transgender superhero history. “Their answer to the display was that it made their child ask them uncomfortable questions about why two men were kissing on a cover of a comic book.”
Library administration pushed back: “This sounds like a fantastic conversation to have with your child maybe, but this is completely appropriate. It is not graphic in any way, shape or form. Also, there are kids’ books like that, really, that you can see. So what is it specifically about just this display that you have a problem with?”
Chianakas frames the broader stakes: “I worry it’s about erasing us. Even if that individual doesn’t have the intention of Snoop Dogg’s intention isn’t to erase individuals of the LGBTQ community. I’m here to argue though that that is the thought that is being processed. If we can’t even have a poster of a cute transgender superhero, well, you’re trying to erase our complete existence. That’s exactly what’s happening.”
Building Community Networks
Despite systemic obstacles, grassroots connections are flourishing. Scachette runs a horror book club and reached out to fellow librarian Linda Lowry, also a local author, to organize events. “She said, ‘That’s easy. It’s Joe Chianakas.'”
Scachette discovered Chianakas was local by examining his Instagram. “I found his personal Instagram and I’m like, there’s a picture of a guy on a boat with him. And I am like, ‘This isn’t just a friend type situation.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is his husband.’ And I am like, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to have him come during Pride Month to the horror book club.'”
“We went from that first book club, then I gave him my gay Karate Kid story, Singlets and Secrets, and he created Book Club Discussion Guides. Those are on my website. So any school out there who wants to do that, we have book club discussion guides created by Adam and shared with permission.”
Chianakas reciprocates with enthusiasm: “Adam’s the real deal. He doesn’t just clock into the library nine to five. I mean, he is showing up in the evenings for youth events, book clubs on the weekends. I see him at pride events and book events. Almost every single one of them can be like, ‘I will see Adam.’ And he’s almost always there.”
“He invited me to do a self-defense seminar. So when I say I write a gay Karate Kid story without going into too much background there, I’m also into karate. So I did a self-defense for queer youth event.”
Library Policies Matter
Robust collection development policies provide essential protections. “You can’t just stroll in and say, ‘I want this removed from the shelf,'” Scachette said about Peoria Public Library’s procedures. “We have an actual form, and that form requires you to. It actually asks you, ‘Have you read this book? And if yes, what exactly are you objecting to?’ It makes them really pause and really sit with that discomfort and actually think about it.”
Requests then go to trained professionals. “Then that gets passed on to the experts. That is the librarians, that is library administration, where they then, I believe, are expected to actually read the book and seriously take that request for reconsideration is the official term, to actually look at it and see if there’s any validity.”
One mother challenged a magazine, requesting only that it be moved to the adult section. “They went, ‘Okay, that seems like a very reasonable request. People can still access that material, and it’s not taking it away from anybody.’ That was very reasonable.”
Another library, the North Liberty Library in Iowa, went further, telling challengers: “We’re the experts. You don’t go to the road crew and complain about the paint they use, the gravel and stuff like that. Let us do our job.”
Fighting Back for the Future
The most concerning trend Chianakas observes affects emerging voices themselves. “The worst thing I’m seeing is I’m encountering young adults who are scared to put their name and voice out there. And that’s exactly what those who are supporting these book bans and the anti-LGBTQ legislation are wanting.”
His message to aspiring creators: “Guys, I know it’s hard and I’m not here to tell you what you have to do, but I want to try to say that your voice is more important than ever, and that you need to be yourself. You need to create. There are not enough LGBTQ artists.”
Chianakas acknowledges fears about professional consequences but maintains optimism. “I know people are worried about jobs, reputation, whether that’s going to be a permanent mark on your resume, so to speak. But here’s the thing, the pendulum will swing. We are here because of all the progress we’ve made. And I know that’s ironic, but it means it’s time to fight back.”
“And guess what? The pendulum will swing. We will make even better progress. I’m hopeful for the midterms in 2028 and beyond.”
Community Events Continue
Organizations are proceeding with visibility regardless. Peoria Public Library and Youth Outlook maintain booths at the River City Pride Festival, scheduled for August 18. The festival runs from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM with additional evening programming including drag performances.
“Last year was over 7,000 people,” Scachette said. “And at the beginning of the day, there was a storm and it was awful. And after a few hours it cleared and they still broke a record, which is absolutely amazing.”
Peoria schedules its Pride event in July rather than June to accommodate cross-support with other celebrations. “Peoria Proud always gets that question, why do you do it in July? Well, because Peoria goes and supports Chicago and all the other events in June. And so we do ours in July so y’all can come support us.”
Resources
Resources remain available for those seeking connection and information. Chianakas’ books are available through his website at joechianakas.com. The Peoria Public Library can be reached at peoriapubliclibrary.org.
The Gaily Show continues coverage of LGBTQ representation issues and censorship developments.
