Rainbow Book Bus Stops in San Antonio to Distribute Banned LGBTQ+ Books
San Antonio, Texas experienced a unique visit from the Rainbow Book Bus on Wednesday, a mobile initiative aimed at countering the increasing trend of banning LGBTQ+ books in the country. The bus was on a South tour, giving away books that have faced challenges or outright ban due to their LGBTQ+ characters.
Offering Representation Through Literature
Set at The Good Kind in Southtown, the event saw the bus, painted colorfully, similar to a rainbow, become the center of attraction, with families and teens lining up to select books from an array inside the bus and spread out on folding tables. The Rainbow Book Bus’s executive director, Adam Powell, emphasized the importance of representation in literature, particularly for LGBTQ+ youth.
“We really believe that it’s so important to see yourself in these stories,” Powell stated. “Being told that these books are removed from their libraries, their schools, we’re here to say, ‘If they’re going to take them out, we’re going to give them to you for free.'”
A tour through the South, stopping in Texas
Launched in Los Angeles on March 4, the Rainbow Book Bus, which enjoys support from renowned personality RuPaul, has made stops in states like Arizona, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. Its stopover at San Antonio was the only one in Texas, marking the end of its inaugural journey.
Overcoming Book Restrictions
The bus brought over 900 to 1,000 books to the San Antonio stop, all of which had been either challenged or banned somewhere in the United States. Mainly targeting children and young adults, the bus aimed to counteract their unjust exclusion from various literary circles and libraries due to narrow-minded restrictions.
San Antonio’s Local Artists Turn Out in Support
San Antonio’s local authors and artists weren’t left behind during the event, as they came to promote and sell their books. Among them was Shelby Criswell, a local illustrator who promoted two graphic novels, Queer as All Get Out, and a horror novella Leaf Peepers they had illustrated.
Fighting Against Book Bans
Former state poet laureate, Carmen Tafolla, who ran out of her books that highlight Mexican American experiences due to high demand, showed her support for the cause and the fight against all book bans. “Reading a huge diversity of books has tremendous benefits to young children and increases their empathy,” Tafolla commented, asserting the importance of broadening the literary horizons of young readers.
Through these efforts, such as that of the Rainbow Book Bus, change and acceptance can be achieved one book at a time.
