Yes, All Boys Aren't Blue Is Banned!

All Boys Aren’t Blue is a memoir-manifesto in which George M. Johnson recounts growing up as a Black queer kid in New Jersey and Virginia. Through a series of personal essays, Johnson explores childhood bullying, family dynamics, the Black church, gender nonconformity, and early sexual experiences with unflinching honesty. The book is addressed directly to young people who might see themselves in Johnson’s story, and its frank discussions of sexual identity and coming-of-age have resonated deeply with LGBTQ+ teens.

Since its publication in 2020, All Boys Aren’t Blue has been one of the most banned books in America, removed from school libraries in at least 29 states. The book’s descriptions of consensual sexual encounters between teenage boys have been the primary flashpoint, with passages read aloud at school board meetings as evidence of “inappropriate” content. Johnson has been vocal in defending the book, pointing out that the very communities trying to ban it are the ones whose children need it most. With over 170 total challenges, it has been pulled from shelves in Florida, Texas, Virginia, Utah, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Iowa, often alongside Gender Queer and Lawn Boy as part of coordinated removal campaigns.