Banned books are read by more (+more transgender news)

Uncommon Knowledge: Trans Book Bans Often Backfire—On Their Creators
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This piece highlights a recurring pattern: attempts to suppress LGBTQ+ books often increase their popularity. Historical examples include Wichita Falls, Texas, where two children’s books about same-sex parents saw dramatic spikes in checkouts after being targeted.

See also the research paper:

“In this study, we use a novel, large-scale data set of U.S. library book circulations and evaluate the impact of high-profile book bans on the consumption of banned books. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design, we find that the circulations of banned books increased by 12%, on average, compared with comparable nonbanned titles after the ban. We also find that banning a book in a state leads to increased circulation in states without bans. We show that the increase in consumption is driven by books from lesser-known authors, suggesting that new and unknown authors stand to gain from the increasing consumer support.”

Federal lawsuit challenges Trump cuts to housing funds, targeting of transgender people

Editorial | Transgender people deserve respect, love and equal rights

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh has not turned over to the federal government any information requested in a subpoena filed this year related to its treatment of transgender patients.

Reporters document rising state-level bills restricting transgender individuals’ ability to use chosen names and requiring parental notification for name changes.

Gender critics want trans children to suffer without puberty blockers