The issue with banning books and censorship of literature from a queer autistic perspective.
Many start their journey in life as adults with a quest for notoriety. Celebrities show a world of money that people equate to success. The endless seek for infamy or fame drives people to extreme actions. Attention-seeking behavior with the goal of self-adulation never ends well.
The question that remains and must be answered is how to become a legend. In some cases, being legendary is dependent upon how often your work is censored.
Banning books
Many notable works of literature are famous now. The literary works that are considered classic now were not always accepted. In fact, the words were rejected by society. Anything that did not fit with social norms was seen as an abomination.
George Orwell was and is banned in schools. The classical work 1984 has been banned so many times it is listed in many places as the MOST banned book in the United States. Banning books is as common as breathing.
The sad reality is that books are not banned for the safety of readers. Books are banned based on society’s ruling majority. Books written by members of marginalized communities like the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities are notoriously banned.
The dangers of banning information
Literature is a form of art. It is an expression, it is history and it is a record of the evolution of society. The censorship of books harms the development of humanity by removing the experiences of the minority.
Censoring creativity stifles the mind by removing diverse perspectives.
Many would argue that some content does not need to be read by minors because it is inappropriate.
The issue with this statement is that the ruling majority, in any society, dictates what is appropriate. What is acceptable to that societal majority will change over time as humanity evolves. Historically, Lord Byron, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickenson have all been deemed inappropriate. Now the works are held in high regard. However, if you asked someone a century ago their opinion it would be shrouded in negativity.
When the majority is choosing content, it inevitably means the minority is silenced.
Tas’s thoughts
We grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home. It was strict. There was no LGBTQ representation, and racism, ableism, and censoring of books were in this environment. No violence, no sexual content even kissing could be read by us in literature. The loophole was we were allowed to read Shakespeare.
Sorry, not sorry Shakespeare is full of queer representation. We were exposed to our community even though our entire existence was around viewing gay as wrong. The little moments we had reading Twelfth Night and other Shakespearian works allowed us to escape into a world of acceptance.
Banning books does nothing but harm the mind. It closes a door for people that not only need an escape but need something to relate to.
“The reality of censoring books is…You silence voices. You limit an individual’s ability to develop independent opinions” — Tas, 2022
What is censored now probably won’t be in the next few decades. Opinions change as society evolves. Literature is the written record of social development and the evolutionary progress of a humanity which should never be silenced.
Tas The Artist 
Leave a comment