“It’s only a matter of time before regressive, repressive ideologues shift their focus to other forms of art and entertainment,” the letter reads, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
Ariana Grande, Gabrielle Union and Guillermo del Toro are among 175 Hollywood creatives who signed an open letter published Tuesday condemning the recent trend of banning books in schools across the country.
Letter — supported Reading the Rainbow host LeVar Burton and the organization MoveOn Political Action — calls out the “restrictive behavior” and “chilling effect” that book bans have “on the broader creative field” and how they are “antithetical to free speech and expression,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We cannot emphasize enough that these censorship efforts will not end with the banning of books,” the letter reads THR. “It’s only a matter of time before regressive, oppressive ideologues shift their focus to other forms of art and entertainment, to deepen their attacks and efforts to scapegoat marginalized communities, particularly BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people.”
Julia Roberts, more stars call for ‘Let America Read’ amid growing list of banned books
According to the media, the signatories concluded the letter by writing that they “refuse to remain silent because one creative field is subject to repressive bans” and that they will “unite, because a threat to one form of art is a threat to all of us.”
“It is embarrassing that we are banning books in this country, in this culture, in this day and age. And it’s dangerous for a handful of individuals to decide that any book with black and queer people is divisive,” added Burton. “We invite everyone to join us in raising our voices to support artistic freedom, embrace multicultural history and stop book bans once and for all.”
A general view of the atmosphere during the launch of MoveOn’s Banned Bookmobile National Tour at Sandmeyer’s Bookstore on July 13, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. MoveOn’s Banned Bookmobile is on a multi-state tour to raise awareness of the growing wave of GOP book bans across the country. The Banned Bookmobile Tour will distribute some of the most commonly banned books in some of the communities most affected by the bans.
Daniel Boczarski/Getty
Margaret Atwood uses flamethrower on ‘non-flammable’ edition of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ to protest book ban
Union, 50, asked those not to “stand by while book bans spread hate and fear,” because “our differences must be celebrated, and our children deserve to have the resources to explore the fullness of our world,” according to THR.
Padma Lakshmi wrote in her own statement: “We cannot protect our children from our history, as my generation was. Deciding which books will be in school libraries is the job of librarians, not politicians who want to continue to smear the country.”
“By speaking out, I can defend freedom of expression, promote representation and inclusivity, support education and understanding, challenge prejudice and discrimination, and empower young readers to embrace their identities and fight for their rights,” Jazz Jennings added in her own statement.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Banning books takes resources away from children trying to find themselves and discover the world,” wrote Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss, co-founders of the online reading community Belletrist. “We must all speak out in the fight against these bans because politicians must not be allowed to stifle our growth, creativity or identities.”
Idina Menzel and her sister Cara Mentzel called: “It is up to all of us to support all children against book bans.” We must come together and continue to advocate for children of all backgrounds, races, genders and sexual orientations so that they know they are loved, valued and that we will stop at nothing to protect their rights.”
Per THRother signatories include Mark Ruffalo, Billy Porter, Chelsea Handler, Constance Wu, John Leguizamo, Christie Brinkley, Busy Philipps, Andy Cohen, Sarah Paulson, Sharon Stone, Judd Apatow, Alyssa Milano, Zooey Deschanel, Patton Oswalt, Natasha Lyonne, Margaret Cho , Ava Max, Ron Perlman, Bill Nye, poet Amanda Gorman and authors Margaret Atwood and Judy Blume.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education