About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 19. Sex, Gender

Abstract

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In 2023, the LGBTQ+ community encountered a historic surge of over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ legislative actions across federal, state, and local levels in the United States, threatening progress toward equality, access to public spaces, and gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth (GLAAD, 2023). Research indicates that such legislation correlates with negative mental health outcomes, including increased depression, anxiety, and overall distress (Russell, 2000). Additionally, stress associated with minority status can intensify mental health issues and lead to hyper-vigilance among LGBTQ+ individuals facing heightened discrimination (Crocker et al., 1998; Diamond & Alley, 2022; Meyer, 2003; Skidmore et al., 2024). Despite these adversities, many queer individuals report an enhanced sense of belonging within their communities during periods of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation (Russell, 2000). Locally, this sentiment has manifested through book censorship, showcased by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors’ enactment of the Parent’s Matter Act in 2023. This legislation removes books with “sexual, gender-identity, or otherwise mature” themes from public library shelves (The Parents Matter Act, File Number: 23-1236). Defined as overt censorship, this act reflects a reactive response to the growing representation of minority groups and represents an exercise of privilege aimed at controlling minority narratives (Knox, 2015; Sachdeva et al., 2023; Jaeger et al., 2023). Despite the increasing representation of LGBTQ+ themes in children’s literature, only 136 out of 3,700 books (3.68%) cataloged by the Cooperative Children’s Books Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison contain these themes. The efforts in Fresno County to remove even this small percentage from children’s sections raise critical concerns. While existing research has examined the implications of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation at the federal and state levels, there is a lack of studies addressing the effects of local censorship on LGBTQ+ individuals. This study aims to explore the Parent’s Matter Act, prioritizing parental perspectives in determining the appropriateness of books on gender identity and sexual orientation for children and their right to access such literature. Based on these interests, we hypothesize that parents aware of censorship of children's books containing LGBTQ+ themes will report higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress compared to those who are not aware. Additionally, we expect to find that parents will report increased hypervigilance in response to book restrictions in Fresno County. This study employs a mixed-method approach, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Approximately 100 LGBTQ+ parents will complete a self-report survey assessing parents' mental health, sense of belonging, and awareness/involvement with book censorship legislation. Parents who are interested will participate in a 1-hour semi-structured interview to explore potential shifts in mental health, heightened hypervigilance, and changes in community belonging since the passage of censorship laws at a local county. Qualitative data will be analyzed using a conventional content analysis approach. Data collection is ongoing, and analysis is expected to be completed by February 2025. It is anticipated that findings from this study will contribute to the larger body of literature on the impact of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation on LGBTQ+ individuals, parents, and their families.

Author information

Author	Role
Andrew Villarreal, California State University, Fresno	Presenting author
Dr. Lauren Dial, California State University, Fresno	Non-presenting author

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