Many school districts in the state of Florida have banned a handful of books revolving around race and sexual identity, but P!nk is fighting back against the right-wing ban during her gigs this week.
As a part of a collaboration with the non-profit PEN America, which aims to fight censorship and book bans in Florida, the “So What” singer gave away 2,000 books during gigs in Miami on Tuesday and Sunrise on Wednesday. These books include banned classic novels like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “A Catcher in the Rye,” “1984,” “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and “Forest Gump,” as well as more modern titles like “The Fault in Our Stars,” “A Wrinkle in Time,” and “Girls Who Code.”
Pink took to social media to share the announcement and some of the book titles, noting, “Lmk which book is pornography…”
“Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that’s why I am unwilling to stand by and watch while books are banned by schools,” the popstar said in a statement. “It’s especially hateful to see authorities take aim at books about race and racism and against LGBTQ authors and those of color. We have made so many strides toward equality in this country and no one should want to see this progress reversed.”
While books are not banned on a state level, school districts have the right to ban certain titles. According to PEN America’s latest report, dubbed “Ban in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor,” book bans have increased by 33% during the 2022-2023 school year — with 40% of all book bans taking place in Florida.
“Censorship has swept the United States in the past two years, with nearly 6,000 book bans since PEN America began tracking them in 2021,” PEN America said in a statement. “Dozens of states have passed or debated laws that restrict the freedom to read, leaving teachers and librarians feeling pressure to limit children’s access to information.”
Learn more about PEN America and how you can fight book bans here.
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P!nk’s Trustfall Tour wraps-up this Saturday, November 18 in Orlando, Florida. She is touring in support of her ninth studio album, released earlier this year. Score tickets to see P!nk on tour via MegaSeats (and get 10% off with the code “TICKETNEWS”), StubHub, or Ticket Club, where readers can receive a free membership with the code “TICKETNEWS.”
