More than half of UK school librarians have been asked to remove books from their shelves, and LGBTQ+ literature has been disproportionately affected, according to a recent study.

The six-month study, conducted by Censorship Index and shared with The Independentfound that 53% of UK school librarians surveyed said they had received requests to remove books, with over half of these cases resulting in books being removed from shelves.

Certain titles removed from school libraries included Juno Dawson‘S This book is gayan autobiography about a young person discovering their sexual identity. Dawson, who told Index in 2023 that she had “no idea if her books were censored in the UK,” is now the third most censored young adult author in the US, according to the Index.

Other books targeted were Jessica Love’s Julián is a mermaida picture book about a gender non-conforming boy, and ABC Pride by Louie Stowell, Elly Barnes and Amy Phelps, which introduces young readers to LGBTQ+ issues using the alphabet.

“I feel scared, intimidated” – librarian on the fear of storage Heart Stopper Book

An anonymous librarian using the pseudonym Emma described how she was ordered to remove all LGBTQ+ themed books after a single parent complained about a title. Emma added that she was even afraid to buy a copy of the latest Heart Stopper book on the shelves and said, “I’m scared, I feel intimidated.”

The investigation also uncovered other cases of self-censorship among librarians. Some were reluctant to purchase or display LGBTQ+ books for fear of potential negative reactions. Some reported ignoring bans by offering “unofficial loans” from their back cabinets.

LGBTQ+ charities and politicians have expressed concern about these findings, with former MP Elliot Colburn telling The Independent that denying children access to material reflecting their experiences poses a “clear and present danger to young LGBT+ people”.

“Preventing young people from the LGBTQ community from seeing themselves represented in inclusive resources and books at school can often lead to feelings of shame…” – Stonewall spokesperson

Simon James Green, a leading British author of LGBTQ+ young adult fiction, has found that resistance to LGBTQ+ library books has increased since his own school visit was cancelled in 2022. “Two years on, it feels like we’re in an even more precarious position,” he told Index. “The publicity that the ban brought means that librarians often want to talk to me about censorship issues, and many of them are experiencing more resistance to LGBTQ+ library books than ever before.”

Stonewall also highlighted the importance of representation in books for young people, telling The Independent: “It is worrying to hear that LGBTQ+ books are being removed from school libraries, as we know that for many students, seeing themselves reflected in books and media is very important and reassuring. Preventing LGBTQ+ young people from seeing themselves reflected in inclusive resources and books at school can often lead to them feeling ashamed and the need to hide who they are.”

The findings come amid reports of an intensification Efforts to ban books in the USAThe latest report from the American Library Association shows that 4,240 different books should be removed in the USA last year.