Words by Abi Scaife
The Handmaid’s Tale author has spoken out against LGBTQ+ book bans.
Tell me more.
Margaret Atwood, author of the likes of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Penelopiad, is standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, as book bans continue in America and Hungary.
She gave a keynote address during the annual Budapest Forum and brought up the decision made by the Hungarian government to censor books with LGBTQ+ themes.
What did she say?
“Once you start forbidding [something], it becomes a question of who can forbid what … [and] how much state power is involved?” said Atwood, according to PinkNews. “Because once state power is involved, there’s a political agenda, not just a politeness agenda … and you can destroy your political opponents by accusing them of having said the wrong thing. Once you start with that, it’s open season.”
It’s wonderful to see such high-profile people standing up for what is right - and their voices will doubtless make this world a safer, more diverse place.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
MindOut. An award winning LGBTQ community mental health service based in Brighton; run by LGBTQ people, for LGBTQ people. Learn more here.
Switchboard. They provide an information, support and referral service for lesbians, gay men and bisexual and trans people – and anyone considering issues around their sexuality and/or gender identity. Support them here.
LGBT Hero. LGBT HERO is the national health and wellbeing charity for LGBTQ+ people supporting over 100,000 people a month. Find out more here.
