Hostile Territory: Mapping Michigan’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Movement & other Government Acts of Censorship


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In Michigan and across the country there has been an unprecedented proliferation of attempts to ban books – the vast majority of which specifically target books with LGBTQ+ themes and characters – from public schools and libraries. We have also seen other attacks on First Amendment rights in our state in the form of banning Pride flags and other displays of Pride support. In response, the ACLU of Michigan has created Hostile Territory: Mapping Michigan’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Movement & other Government Acts of Censorship.

While this map tracks only incidents that have resulted in a formal review process and final decision, instances of censorship often occur out of sight of the public and directly impact school and public libraries.  It is our hope that this map helps educate people about what is happening in Michigan, adds to the critical work already being done by many organizations, including the MI Right to Read Coalition led by the Michigan Library Association, and provides resources to fight back.  

Map

Incidents (List)

Alpena County

A.Alpena County

A.

After a group of residents raised concerns about more than a dozen books on the shelves of their public library in this northeast Michigan county, library officials responded by saying that they adhere to national library standards, and had begun reviewing the library’s policies for responding to the book challenges.  Many of the books targeted in Alpena address LGBTQ+ issues and themes.  The librarian has been targeted by some of the residents, labeling her a “groomer” for having LGBTQ+ themed books in the library’s collection. 

In addition, the Alpena County Board of Commissioners wanted two sex education books for young adults to be moved to the adult section of the library.  Instead of letting that library board’s review process run its course, the Commissioners, in July, voted to begin the process of firing all five library board members. 

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Brandywine Community Schools

A.Brandywine Community Schools

A.

After a conservative majority was elected to the Brandywine Community Schools Board of Education in Niles, they passed a motion to deny all books deemed as sexually explicit or violent from entering the middle school and high school libraries.  

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Caro Area District Library

A.Caro Area District Library

A.

Last year, patrons of the Caro Area District Library asked that three books on sexual education – two children’s books, and one for teens – be moved from their current section of the library to the adult section. The Caro library director denied the request and the patrons appealed. At a October 13, 2023, Caro Area District Library board meeting, the board sided with the library director, voting to keep the books where they are. The following month, the Michigan The Michigan Library Association awarded the Caro Area District Library the 2023 Intellectual Freedom Award. 

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Chelsea School District

A.Chelsea School District

A.

A group of  parents and community members seeking the removal of Toni Morrison’s "The Bluest Eye" – a powerful novel telling the story of a young, sexually abused Black girl in the years following the Great Depression – failed in their efforts when the school board voted 6-1 to keep making the book available to students.

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Chippewa Valley Schools

A.Chippewa Valley Schools

A.

In response to complaints from community members about the contents of some books, Chippewa Valley Schools in Macomb County created a committee to review books that are “challenged” by a parent or anyone associated with the district. By November, according to media reports, 13 books had been removed for various reasons. The number removed for having allegedly obscene content was not disclosed.

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Davison Community Schools

A.Davison Community Schools

A.

The school board voted to remove eight books from the media centers of the Davison middle and high schools. Included were the critically acclaimed novels "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe", "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", and "We Are OK."

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Dearborn Public Schools

A.Dearborn Public Schools

A.

Dearborn Public Schools permanently removed from the high school library the critically acclaimed novels "Push" and "Red, White and Royal Blue."

 

Deckerville Library

A.Deckerville Library

A.

The Deckerville Library board voted unanimously to keep "Gender Queer: A Memoir" in its collection after requests were made to remove the book from shelves.

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Dickinson County Library Board

A.Dickinson County Library Board

A.

When some residents launched complaints about "Patience and Esther: an Edwardian Romance"  -- which features a lesbian romance between the title characters – the library board voted 4-1 to keep the book on its shelves. 

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Forest Hills Public Schools

A.Forest Hills Public Schools

A.

After it was revealed that six books – including those with LGBTQ+ themes and characters – were secretly removed from Forest Hills Schools, generating scrutiny by the ACLU of Michigan and the National Coalition Against Censorship, the books were returned to circulation.    

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Fowlerville Community Schools

A.Fowlerville Community Schools

A.

In what was widely seen as an attempt to censor teachers and students in the LGBTQ+ community, the board of education in Fowlerville issued a ban on all flags other than the American flag, Michigan flag, and military flag. Any other display – including student posters and stickers – would need special approval. Immediately after the decision, there was a reported surge in bullying directed at LGBTQ+ students.

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Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools

A.Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools

A.

The Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools Board of Education voted to remove Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer: A Memoir” permanently from the library collection at Galesburg-Augusta High School.

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Gwinn Area Community Schools

A.Gwinn Area Community Schools

A.

After a meeting of the Board of Education, at which the district’s flag policy was discussed but no vote or formal action taken regarding the issue, Pride flags were removed from classrooms throughout the district in this rural community in the upper Peninsula.

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Hamtramck

A.Hamtramck

A.

The Hamtramck City Council voted unanimously to ban all expressive flags from public property, except for the American flag, the Michigan flag, the POW flag, and flags that represent the native countries of immigrant residents. The ban, having come during Pride Month, was widely considered to be targeted at the LGBTQ+ Pride flag. A federal lawsuit has been filed challenging the constitutionality of the ban. 

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Hartland Consolidated Schools

A.Hartland Consolidated Schools

A.

During Pride Month, the Hartland Consolidated Schools Board of Education passed a policy that severely restricts the types of flags, signs, posters, and stickers that can be displayed on district property, including Pride flags, and “safe space” rainbow stickers intended to signal a classroom is safe for LGBTQ+ students. 

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Hillsdale Community Library

A.Hillsdale Community Library

A.

Hillsdale Community Library board successfully fought an attempt to remove all LGBTQ+ books from the children’s section of the library and an attempt to ban a “Harry Potter”. But the controversy did result in both the head librarian and children’s librarian resigning.  

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Hudsonville Public Schools

A.Hudsonville Public Schools

A.

After a parent complained about the book "Jarhead", a memoir about a U.S. Marine’s Gulf War experiences, a seven-member book review committee unanimously decided to keep making the book available to students. A split school board overrode that decision and removed the book completely.

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Lapeer District Library

A.Lapeer District Library

A.

Following media reports that the Lapeer County prosecutor was mulling criminal charges against library officials if the book “Gender Queer: A Memoir” was not removed from shelves, the Lapeer District Library Board refused to buckle to the attempted intimidation and voted unanimously to retain the book.

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Lowell Area Schools

A.Lowell Area Schools

A.

After the book, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” was challenged, a seven-member committee was formed to read the book and make a recommendation. The committee voted 6-1 to keep the book as it was, restricted to seniors only at the high school.

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Northview Public Schools

A.Northview Public Schools

A.

The Northview Public Schools in Grand Rapids will keep eight books, that a community member challenged, on the district’s library shelves. The school board voted unanimously to deny the appeal of a citizen who claimed the books were sexually explicit. The initial challenge of the eight books, many of which have been challenged across the country, was also denied. According to a news report, the books are not required reading, but are available to students in grades 7 through 12.

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Novi Community Schools

A.Novi Community Schools

A.

Following a complaint from one parent, "Lawn Boy", a semi-autobiographical coming of age book about a Mexican-American youth that touches on issues of race, class and sexuality was removed from general circulation at the school library.

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Patmos Library (Jamestown)

A.Patmos Library (Jamestown)

A.

When the Patmos Library staff refused to remove its books containing LGBTQ themes, Jamestown Township residents twice voted to defund their only library. A GoFundMe campaign generated more than enough to keep the library open. Following the election of a conservative majority to the library board, a compromise was reached to keep all of the books that sparked challenges on library shelves after getting labels providing a brief overview of the genre and subject matter. Voters then approved the tax millage needed to fund the library. 

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Peter White Library (Marquette)

A.Peter White Library (Marquette)

A.

The Peter White Public Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously to keep, “This Book is Gay,” a pro-LGBTQ+ book by Juno Dawson on the shelves after a formal request had been filed by a Marquette resident to remove it. The book is one among several that have been commonly challenged across the nation.

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Portage Public Schools

A.Portage Public Schools

A.

The acclaimed work, "Push: A Novel", by Sapphire was removed from Portage Public Schools’ general library collection. "Push", which was made into the award-winning movie "Precious", tells the heart-rending story of a Black, pregnant, sexually abused teenager and her harrowing efforts to survive.

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Rockford Public Schools

A.Rockford Public Schools

A.

A group sued Rockford Public Schools in an attempt to ban 14 books – several of which were centered around LGBTQ themes – claiming they were sexually explicit or pornographic. A judge dismissed the lawsuit, stating in a written ruling, “Plaintiffs cannot establish that a reasonable person would not find value in the identified works as a whole. In fact, every book identified by Plaintiffs has either received accolades or been on best-seller lists.” The books remain on the district library shelves.

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Salem-South Lyon District Library

A.Salem-South Lyon District Library

A.

Patrons challenged 16 books, mostly LGBTQ+ themed, on the shelves of the Salem-South Lyon District Library. But the library board voted to keep all the books in its collection.

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Spring Lake Public Schools

A.Spring Lake Public Schools

A.

After the district’s material review committee approved keeping the graphic novel “Gender Queer: A Memoir”, the Spring Lake Public Schools Board of Education, responding from complaints from two parents, reversed course and voted 4-3 to have Maia Kobabe’s powerful and moving story of self-discovery removed from the high school’s media center.

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St. Joseph Public Schools

A.St. Joseph Public Schools

A.

After a parent complained about 15 books – including Kurt Vonnegut’s classic "Slaughterhouse Five" and a number of books dealing with LGBTQ+ characters and issues – a committee composed of administrators and parents in the St. Joseph Public Schools District reviewed the challenged materials and voted to keep using them.

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Three Rivers Community Schools

A.Three Rivers Community Schools

A.

Shortly after administrators in the Three Rivers School District banned teachers at its middle school from displaying Pride flags in their classrooms, protests by students and the public prompted the school board to vote unanimously to reverse course and remove the ban.

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Troy School District

A.Troy School District

A.

Four books were challenged and reviewed at the Troy School District. According to the Michigan Education Association, here is the outcome: “Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic”  is restricted to sign-out for students 18 and up or with a parent’s permission; “All Boys Aren’t Blue” remains available for check-out; “Jack of Hearts (and other parts)” was removed; and “ttyl” was moved to the high school collection from the middle school.

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