Books Not Bans fosters joy and connection by throwing literature-themed parties and donating needed books.

We’ve hosted bike rides, happy hours, and late night dance party read-a-thons. We’ve collaborated with local bookstores, nightclubs and nonprofits. Good books can be an impetus for experiences built on empathy, imagination, and hope.

Money we raise is used to send queer literature to LGBTQ+ groups at no-cost to recipients.

We ship free boxes of our favorite queer titles to LGBTQ+ groups in conservative parts of the country, where access to these stories is heavily restricted and resources for books are often scarce. To date, we’ve sent over 640 books to 30 different organizations in red states like Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma and other states deeply impacted by book bans. 

We promote and celebrate the power of queer stories.

We believe that literature belongs not just at quiet, cozy enclaves, but also at raucously ebullient social gatherings where participants can revel in the transformative power of the printed word communally.

While the U.S. faces a crisis of loneliness and isolation, literature can help bring us together and imagine new futures while expanding our capacity for hope and empathy.