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Articles on Queer literature

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Books whose ideas ran afoul of official church doctrine were sometimes cast into the flames – and literature with queer themes was no stranger to scrutiny. Pedro Berruguete/Museo del Prado/Wikimedia Commons

‘Don’t Say Gay’ rules and book bans might have felt familiar in medieval Europe − but queer themes in literature survived nonetheless

Medieval writers and clerics condemned queer romance and gender-bending stories − but were often wary of even mentioning the topics.
America’s biggest book publishers originally viewed LGBTQ+ romance as a niche market. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images

What’s behind the astonishing rise in LGBTQ+ romance literature?

It’s tempting to see this trend as a sign of the times. But the biggest book publishers started changing their approach only once they realized they were leaving money on the table.
Illustration detail from the cover of Andy Griffiths’ international bestseller, The Day My Bum Went Psycho (Pan Macmillan).

Teacher sacked for reading bum book to students: the latest conservative book ban

A teacher was fired this month for reading his favourite picture book, I Need a New Butt, to kids. It’s an example of how US conservatives are focusing on school boards as weapons in the culture wars.

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