A group of LGBTQ organizations and independent bookstores have teamed up to hand out free copies of books that have been banned from all Utah public schools.
The giveaways will continue, they say, until the state ends its practice of removing titles from school shelves statewide.
Organizers of the “Read Between the Bans” campaign include The King’s English Bookshop, Under The Umbrella bookstore, The Legendarium bookstore and Weller Book Works, along with Utah’s LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and Safe Zone Utah.
Together, they were able to raise around $450 to support the first giveaway Sunday during the SLC Pride festival, said Liz Pitts, president and CEO of the chamber.
There, atop a table, free copies of banned books sat stacked and available to grab, including “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, which was banned from all Utah public schools in March.
Inside Brain Food Books’ “bookmobile,” a section of free banned books was also set up for festival attendees to peruse. The nonprofit, sponsored by The King’s English Bookshop, helps get books to people who otherwise lack “regular access,” according to its website.
Read the full article by Carmen Nesbitt at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.