A Statement In Opposition to HR 7661 The freedom to speak and to read is a fundamental principle of the United States of America. That is why we have joined together — parents, students, educators, library workers, authors, free expression advocates, booksellers, and publishers — to stand in support of our nation’s school-aged children and teens and in opposition to H.R. 7661. H.R. 7661, if passed, will compel nationwide book censorship. It confuses obscenity with identity and stigmatizes vulnerable young people, particularly trans children and teens, based on who they are. It will continue to drain funding from our already underfunded schools and libraries. And it will threaten the creativity and critical thinking that are vital to education in the U.S.
Authors Against Book Bans has joined dozens of other organizations, nonprofits, publishers, & stores to issue this joint statement opposing HR7661
![GO to usa.gov/elected-officials and call your rep. "Hello my name is [your name], and I'm a constituent from [your city/zip code]. I'm calling to urge [rep/senator name] to support the freedom to read and oppose efforts to ban books or restrict access in schools and libraries. Access to diverse books and ideas is essential for education, critical thinking, and a healthy democracy. Decisions about what individuals read should not be dictated b political pressure. I also ask that you support funding for libraries and protect the role of trained librarians in our communities. Thank you for your time, and I would appreciate knowing the representative's position on the issue."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:wpyqwhfhwubmtj2ku35uzpp4/bafkreigqy7bez63fauylz2nrws3hwlwqtiyimcb2z5dp4wjzub6vi5e2vy)
