This Banned Books Week some ways to fight censorship and for freedom.

(Image from the Books Challenged or Banned in 2013-2014, by Robert P. Doyle)

From the article:

If a governor, state representative, or school district resorts to banning books, they have already lost the fight between competing ideas. But that hasn’t stopped Gov. Ron DeSantis and an army of overzealous crusaders across Florida from ratcheting up their war against books, education, and social justice (shhh, no one is supposed to know about this one.) They’ll tell you that the campaign is an attempt to protect (their) children from books they deem “pornographic, harmful to minors, or that depict sexual activity.” According to the laws implemented by the Republican legislative supermajority, the books must be pulled from shelves within five days of a complaint and remain out of circulation for the duration of any challenge. According to PEN America, a free-speech advocacy group, one Florida school district has “banned” more than 1,600 books. Things have gotten so ridiculous that in Escambia County, school administrators have banned the dictionary.

It's Banned Books Week!

While this isn't really a week to celebrate because censorship and the suppression of diverse voices is never okay, this is a week to lift up the work of educators, librarians, authors, book publishers, anyone who has a hand in making sure everyone's voice is represented in the books we love. The past few years have seen an increase in school boards across the country banning books in classrooms and libraries. The most egregious, to me, has been the removal of classroom sets of books in Florida. The ALA released early data on the number of challenged books for 2023 so far and its heartbreaking. The data reveals that, "Between January 1 and August 31, 2023, OIF reported 695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles - a 20% increase from the same reporting period in 2022, which saw the highest number of book challenges since ALA began compiling the data more than 20 years ago. The vast majority of challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community." (https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/book-ban-data) I don't know about you but this makes me want to fight even harder.

So, what can you do? The ALA provides an cool list of ways you can get involved not just this week but all year round such as volunteer at a library, speak out at a school board meeting, join organizations such as Unite Against Book Bans, purchase and share banned books, and even attend some of the events this week. Check out this page (Banned Books - Get Involved) for more detailed information about how you can help. 

Starting today the ALA is hosting a few events that you can gain insight and inspiration. I'm looking forward to Banned Books Week Honorary Chair LeVar Burton's talk tonight at 8pm EST (5pm for you Cali folk like me) and a roundtable discussion titled "A Seat at the Table: Youth Advocates on Fighting Books Bans" by students leaders doing the hard work on Thursday at 8pm EST/5pm PST. Click on this page (Banned Books - Events) to get more information. 

Lastly, Saturday, October 7th is Let Freedom Read Day where the ALA is asking us all to commit to doing at least one thing to help fight against censorship and support those on the front line. On their page (Let Freedom Read) is a list of actions that you could do on Sunday (or any day really), but for me, personally, please send love to a teacher or librarian because we could really use the support. Just saying "I'm there for you" or maybe donating a book to a teacher's personal classroom library would go far in the fight against censorship.  If there is any time to give back to those who promote literacy and representation for all, this is the week to do it. 

The ALA's State of America's Libraries Report for 2024 is out now.

2023 had the highest number of challenged book titles ever documented by the ALA.

You can view the full PDF of the report here. Book ban/challenge data broken down by state can be found here.

If you can, try to keep an eye on your local libraries, especially school and public libraries. If book/program challenges or attacks on library staff are happening in your area, make your voice heard -- show up at school board meetings, county commissioner meetings, town halls, etc. Counterprotest. Write messages of support on social media or in your local papers. Show support for staff in-person. Tell others about the value of libraries.

Get a library card if you haven't yet -- if you're not a regular user, chances are you might not know what all your library offers. I'm talking video games, makerspaces (3D printers, digital art software, recording equipment, VR, etc.), streaming services, meeting spaces, free demonstrations and programs (often with any necessary materials provided at no cost!), mobile WiFi hotspots, Library of Things collections, database subscriptions, genealogy resources, and so on. A lot of electronic resources like ebooks, databases, and streaming services you can access off-site as long as you have a (again: free!!!) library card. There may even be services like homebound delivery for people who can't physically come to the library.

Also try to stay up to date on pending legislation in your state -- right now there's a ton of proposed legislation that will harm libraries, but there are also bills that aim to protect libraries, librarians, teachers, and intellectual freedom. It's just as important to let your representatives know that you support pro-library/anti-censorship legislation as it is to let them know that you oppose anti-library/pro-censorship legislation.

Unfortunately, someone being a library user or seeing value in the work that libraries do does not guarantee that they will support libraries at the ballot. One of the biggest predictors for whether libraries stay funded is not the quantity or quality of the services, programs, and materials it offers, but voter support. Make sure your representatives and local politicians know your stance and that their actions toward libraries will affect your vote.

Here are some resources for staying updated:

If you're interested in library advocacy and staying up to date with the challenges libraries are facing in the U.S., check out EveryLibrary, which focuses on building voter support for libraries.

Book Riot has regular articles on censorship attempts taking place throughout the nation, which can be found here, as well as a Literary Activism Newsletter.

The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom focuses on the intellectual freedom component of the Library Bill of Rights, tracks censorship attempts throughout each year, and provides training, support, and education about intellectual freedom to library staff and the public.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation focuses on intellectual freedom in the digital world, including fighting online censorship and illegal surveillance.

I know this post is long, but please spread the word. Libraries need your support now more than ever.

I was exactly halfway into my second pregnancy, and up until that point, we were so ecstatic to be expecting again — a baby we’d been praying for. We kept talking about and imagining the joy it would be to bring our new baby home to meet our 2-year-old daughter. But at my 20-week ultrasound, a day that is supposed to be full of excitement and awe, we received devastating news. Our baby, a second daughter, had many severe and insurmountable skeletal and organ issues. Fetal specialists told us that it was extremely unlikely she could survive because all her major organ systems had significant development issues. We were blindsided and heartbroken, and yet somehow clear-minded. We chose to do what we believed was best for our unborn daughter as well as for our family; because that is what you do as parents. And we saw the choice we ultimately made as an act of love for her. We respect and honor that other parents have chosen — and will continue to choose — the only other option our doctor suggested to us — to let the pregnancy take its natural course and provide specialist or palliative care as needed. And that is the point. Individuals and their families — no matter where they happen to live — must be able to make the best choice for them. They need to be free to choose their own act of love. I believe now more than ever that anyone’s reason for seeking an abortion is valid. Who are we to say it isn’t? What we didn’t know when we made our decision was that in addition to being so difficult emotionally, it would be made so much worse by the abortion bans recently enacted in Idaho. Because of these cruel laws, my Idaho doctors could not provide me with an abortion — something they could easily have done before Roe v. Wade was overturned — in my own community supported by family and friends. We had to spend the following days cold-calling countless clinics in nearby states where abortion is still legal, but found out that because of all the other new abortion bans in states across the country, many clinics had closed, most had no open appointments for several weeks, and still others considered my pregnancy, at 20 weeks, too far along for me to receive care. The thought of waiting out this pregnancy, possibly for weeks, or however long, while trying to get through the day working as a chiropractor and still being active and present for our toddler was more than I could handle. All I could think about was whether the daughter I was carrying was already suffering; my anxiety and sadness were overwhelming. We both felt hopeless and heartbroken until we reached a Seattle clinic with a last-minute cancellation. Although relieved, there was so much we had to do to get there in the haze of our grief. There were flights to make, hotels to book, a car to rent and medical care our health insurance would not cover because we were going out of state to access and receive it. One of the most tragic — and degrading — parts of our situation was knowing that people in my home state of Idaho believe this is acceptable, denying me bodily autonomy. We will always be grateful to the clinic and team in Seattle for offering us professional, compassionate care. I am a person of faith and for months after my abortion, I kept telling Brandon there had to be something positive that would come out of this experience. Several months later, I learned that the Center for Reproductive Rights was putting together a challenge to Idaho’s abortion laws, and I knew immediately that moving forward as a plaintiff in the case was something I had to do. I’m proud to be one of the many women and doctors challenging and broadening these laws. Physicians in Idaho must have greater discretion over when abortion exceptions are warranted, and the decision should be the patient’s in consultation with their doctors.

Ω PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS: ✌ NIKE: Goddess of Victory 🏆

Author's note: Hello everyone! In lieu of posting the major gods demigod headcanons, here is the minor gods version!As usual these headcanons will contain what it's like being claimed and what it's like for the respective god and cabin, followed by a small story between you, the reader, and the respective demigod of that god. Thank you for reading and please like and reblog! [PJO MINOR GODS DEMIGOD HEADCANONS MASTERLIST] Disclaimer: To new fans or strictly TV watchers of the PJO series, future spoilers for the entire PJO series books will be referenced. Read at your own risk.

When you get claimed, it’s after winning. It could be beating an arm wrestling match, winning at rock paper scissors, you get the gist. 

The desire to win is so strong that it’s borderline obsessive.

Competitive is the defining word for a child of Nike. 

You have the last laugh- even if you lose at that moment, you’ll find yourself winning in the end, even if you have to play the long game. 

Perfection, or near perfection, is also part of your drive. It may not have to do with everything and anything, but it is there.

You’re athletic as heck as Athletics fall under her domain. If you weren’t before, well, not if Nike has something to say about it. Consider it the equivalent of Aphrodite’s blessing, where her children are blessed with perfect makeup and hair, except in your case, you have a boost in athletic skill, intelligence, and etc. Even if you have a chronic disease or disability, Nike has you covered in ways you didn’t know were possible. 

If you aren’t competitive, you’ll start to feel the need to win when you see someone outpacing you. This often leads to a choking hazard when more than once, a child of Nike overheard a “Let’s see who can eat the fastest!” or something of that degree. If one child of Nike starts doing it, then another will follow, and a chain of Nike children are shoveling food into their mouths. Then the sheer energy produced by the chain of children of Nike affects everyone else. Food competitions and food fights, especially, are banned in Camp Halfblood for these reasons. This is one of the few times Mr. D intervened with his godly power with his own, and oh boy. 

In games like Truth or Dare, they will definitely commit. You can imagine what’ll happen. The Hermes cabin is banned from asking or starting a Truth or Dare game when there are children of Nike around. It was not pretty. Limits were tested and broken. Absolute truths unbearable to hear as everyone felt some emotional reaction; but mostly unbearable, intense second-hand embarrassment that some just walked out of. Impossible challenges were met and there was much, much regret. Travis and Connor Stoll are, as expected, the perpetrators of this ban. 

Spite. So much Spite. You will do things out of pure spite. Being kind out of spite is also on the table. You can be even spiteful out of spite. How that works, I have no idea and only you know.

Any form of congratulatory tokens are handled by the children of Nike; especially the Laurels. 

You have a natural affinity with a child of Athena, due to her connection Athena, but also children of Ares. This is mostly due to the fact of their domain of war.

The bit of having a natural affinity with a child of Athena or Ares is crucial because more likely than not, they will either enable you or they will be the ones to pull you back and give you a down to earth level. This is usually done by the children of Athena, but when an Ares’ child does it? Oh then you know, a line has been crossed.

Depending on how many Nike children there are, Chiron does his best to split you guys in the middle, and put one half in the team with the Are’s team, and the other half with the Athena’s team. This is to balance out of the gods on the behest of the Nemesis cabin due to…incidents. Very bloody and catastrophic incidents. 

Likewise on never challenging a child of Nike, this also applies vise-versa. NEVER ACCEPT A CHILD OF NIKE’S CHALLENGE. YOU WILL LOSE. YOU WILL REGRET IT. A CHILD OF NIKE’S CHALLENGE IS ONE THEY KNOW THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY, GUARANTEED WIN. [Accept at your own risk and peril.] 

There’s a 120% guarantee that a child of Nike will take any challenge with any sort of prize. It doesn’t matter if it’s something very minor like a cheap toy, they will do what it takes to win it. The icing on the cake? There’s a rumour that there’s an actual prize that Nike herself promised to her children that whoever wins the most by the end of the year, they will receive a prize from herself. Most people know it's a golden laurel, but there’s a rumour that they could earn a pair of golden wings much like Nike herself (of course a dumb down version but still very powerful regardless). The kicker about this? The bar is set higher every year; where the children of Nike must win at least above the minimum from the previous year. The bar is constantly moving. No one’s sure if it’ll end. 

Don’t worry though, the children of Nike have (some sort of) honour in winning. Sure they might use tricks and schemes to win, but there won’t be any dirty or easy wins from them. They’ll earn their win as fairly/honourably/squarely as it can be. On the other hand, if it’s an easy win or win by default, some children of Nike might not take it. 

You were coming down from the high of winning and the claim of Nike over your head. When Chiron announced who your godly parent was, you thought “Yeah that sounds about right” and as you were basking in the afterglow, you heard incessant yelling from the distance that was quickly getting louder. 

People were either moving to the side, diving and pushing others to get out of the way, and those who didn’t were bouldered over by a pair of identical twin girls. They both had brown hair and were practically pushing at each others’ heads, while rushing towards you while trying to push the other away, but inevitably were knocking others around them down.

They looked around before their eyes locked on you and you froze like a deer in the headlights as they barreled over to you as they both stuck their hands out at the same time, and yelled in your face excitedly,

“Hi! I’m Holly Victor, child of Nike and cabin leader!” “Hi! I’m Laurel Victor, child of Nike and cabin leader!” 

Their words sounded like you were hearing stereo and you were reeling from everything. Upon instinct, your hands both stuck out to take their hands and before you could even think of introducing yourself back, the twins snapped their heads at each other and they glowered, 

“Hey I was first! No, I was! Stop copying me! I won first!” they both said and your head was spinning. 

You stammered out an introduction, as helpless at it may be but they’re focus turned to you just as you finished saying, “-and who are you guys…?”

Before the two girls could even think to explain first, Chiron stepped from behind them and placed his hands on their heads to get them to stop. 

“They’re Laurel and Holly Victor, twin sisters and daughters of Nike, just like you. They’re also the cabin leaders of the Nike cabin” he introduced. 

“But aren’t there supposed to be one cabin leader…?” 

“Normally yes, however, when deciding who would, being children of Nike, the two argued and fought for a very long time to be cabin leader before we all agreed it was better for both sisters to be cabin leaders.”

You paled at your future being at the Nike cabin as you prayed to your godly parent for strength, but remember they got this from Nike, and more importantly-

The Victor twins both grinned and shook your hands at the same time, “Welcome to the Nike cabin, new sibling!”  

You just stared at them and thought, ‘This is going to redefine sibling rivalry in all history of sibling rivalry” 

Hiiii I was just curious about Disciplinary Committee Yuu Nothing specific Anything your brain juices think up

Hmm, the ancient one.

This Yuu first appeared about a year ago on this blog taking the crown as the first A(Yuu). Their place was quickly taken by Chef!Yuu who gained more popularity through their series.

Disciplinary Committee!Yuu had an entire AU of their own all the while with a small collection of OCs.

Here are a few notes.

Is officially a second year housewarden of Ramshackle. The AU takes place one year after the year of Overblots.

Everyone calls them Officer put their title as warden is Chief.

Manifested magic due to trauma and exposure. Creates magic draining chains to physically contain. Has a magic tool that uses this spell to create an anti-magic field. (Makes Riddle look lax in comparison)

Ironically Ramshackle students specialize in magic beast-taming and have many beasts that roam the area. Most of these beasts are very dangerous and only get more so with training.

Yuu's beast is Grim who is the house mascot.

Yuu his constantly busy and overworked because of how much fighting and chaos takes place.

Is charged with writing the school handbook which contains the rules the Officers enforce religiously.

Yuu hates excessive use of magic even at a magic school. Believes that magic is a tool meant to serve the needs of other not just yourself. Limiting it decreases the chance of blotting.

Naturally the dorm is a refuge for those who seek strength independent of their magic. (Oh hey Rollo)

There is a quite hours ban on magic.

The irony of their dorm being associated with discipline is that Yuu encourages betrayal. At least of your commanding officers. You need to watch your back because the best officers are always vigilant of challengers.

It's like a pack of wolves in a way (not really. It's closer to Meerkats or lemurs) one sits at the top and the others either fight their way to the top or gets on the leader's good side.

But enough about the dorm.

Yuu claimed Sebek as theirs. Thems the rules. He was picked up by the neck.

Maybe it was the devotion he had or maybe it was the lack of discipline. Either way this man had no rizz.

Yuu keeps him on a very short leash either way.

Yuu had to add a rule to hand book that states that if Idia gets kidnapped don't complain just save him. They have to remind the officers of this rule.

If you have a question while the Chief is busy they will just point to the wall where the rules are written.

Yuu will literally walk you like a dog. Hands rated E for everyone.

If they had a dorm uniform card it would be of them locking you in a cell.

Leona gets locked away the most because (acab) and for truancy.

This Yuu is morally grey at best.

For the anon that asked so nicely for a Tooney sneak peek... I hope you're happy with this ❤️ (if not you can hit @valewosomtb with a newspaper roll - she chose Tooney over Less 😉😉)

You entered the room which was officially dubbed the “common get together”-room finding Lucy, Keira, Mary, Less, Tooney, Niamh, Meado and LJ (who you honestly could do without) chilling around. Some of them were lounging on the couch while Tooney, Less and Niamh were placed at the table playing with some Legos. You made a beeline for your two bestest friends as Keira looked up from her book

“No” the blonde just said knowing letting you sit with them would end up in a Lego fight and you'd throw pieces at each other until one got either hurt or cried

“Keira cooooome ooooon” you whined which caused Tooney and Less to look up

“Yeah Keira... cooooome ooooon” Tooney whined too

“Come here Bubs” Lucy said from her place on the couch stretched her hand towards you trying to get you to come over to her “Wanna show you something”

“You can always show it to LJ” you pulled a face and your voice was laced with venom

“Huh?” your sister looked at you confused as you turned around now marching towards Toonie like you were on a mission

“Bitsy” Keira warned you raising her eyebrow in challenge

“I'm just gonna sit here” you said annoyed and the blonde noticed your grumpy mood

“No Lego fights!” the blonde looked at you threating

“Okay mom” the three of you answered simultaneously grinning

Soon after Less got called away by the media team for some... whatever, you didn't pay attention. Tooney and you continued to build on your Lego castle but as usual after like 30 minutes you both got bored

You just looked at each other communicating without words – like always. You both stood up at the same time looking around until your eyes fell on the dart board that was hung up on the other side of the room. Tooney and you tried to be as sneaky as possible as you slandered over to said piece of fun without noticing Keira watching every step you took. Just as you were about to pull the third dart out of the board so Toons and you could play a hand reached over your shoulder taking all darts away

“I told you... no sharp objects” you immediately reconized the voice of one Keira Walsh

“They're not sharp...” you pouted as you turned around to look at her with your best puppy eye look

“No pointy objects either” Keira smiled sweetly and you knew it was fake as fuck

“But... Tooney and I wanted to play” you pouted

“Tooney is banned from pointy objects too” the blonde just said hoping to end this topic

“Tooney is what?” Ella said confused

“The last time you whined for a WEEK that your finger nearly fell off” Keira rolled her eyes “So no darts for you either... find something else”

“Oh yeah.. I forgot about that... it was really close for me finger to fall off” Tooney said as she remembered her last interaction with darts

“Your bloody finger was fine” you exclaimed

“Bloody... that's the word you should emphasize... so much blood” Ella sighed

“Less nearly broke my nose.... THAT was bloody... your finger was just... trickling blood” you said upset

“If you don't stop to one up each other immediately I'm going to put you in different corners of the room” Keira interrupted your “fight”

“Sorry mom” both of you said

“Gosh... can't you two play nicely with each other for once?” the blonde rolled her eyes

“We tried... you wouldn't allow it” you tried to reason with her

“No sharp or pointy objects” Keira said again “Find something else”

You looked over at Tooney who just shrugged her shoulders

“Uh... there's a bowling thing in the basement... can we go bowling? Nothing sharp, nothing pointy” you said excited as Tooney started to beam

“Not without a responsible adult around” Keira said “And I'm not going down there with you”

“Millie and Rach are down there... I think” you said as you tried to convince Kei

“Lucy?” the blonde turned around to your sister

“Yeah?” Lucy looked up from her phone where she (most likely) texted with Ona

“I just spoke english did I?” Keira asked her ex

“Ehrm... yes? Why?” your sister asked confused

“Good... I just thought I switched to spanish without noticing it when I said them two nobbheads won't go bowling in the basement without a responsible adult and Bitsys answer was Millie and Rachel... I just wanted to double check that I in fact did use the english language” the blonde said and you groaned behind her knowing she just shut down your idea

“Oh no... you definitely spoke english” Lucy smirked

“Mary??” you asked hopefully looking at the keeper

“Yeah okay...” the tall brunette rolled her eyes but smiled noneless “I'll take you bowling”

“YES!!” you high fived Tooney “Mary counts as responsible, right?” you checked with Keira

“Yes... Mary counts as responsible” the blonde sighed actually hoping you'd find no body who would go with you so she could keep an eye on you

“Woohoo...” you cheered chasing after Tooney who already was sprinting towards the door

“No running” Mary yelled after you but it was no use as she stood up following the two of you

“I'll give them 20 Minutes” Keira said plopping down next to Lucy on the couch

“Naah... Mearps is good... Bubs respects Mearps.... 30” your sister grinned as she started a timer

32 Minutes later the door of the common room got kicked open and Mary carried you bridal style inside to cross the room with quick strides. Tooney was following after you apologizing profusely while you whined into Marys neck

“32 Minutes and 17 seconds” Lucy looked down on her phone grinning stopping the timer showing it to Keira

“Should we follow or just ignore that something went horribly wrong... as always when these two are left to their own?” the blonde sighed looking expectantly at Lucy

“Naah... she has Mearps with her...” your sister waved off smirking knowing you'll throw an absolute fit once one of the physios wants to touch whatever limp is hurting at the moment.

Resources for Banned Books Week and Beyond

Every Banned Books Week I tend to share the ALA Top Ten Most Challenged Book list.

Along with highlighting quotes on reading, censorship and freedom of expression.

Plus choosing a variety of titles that have been targeted at different times. Or that reflect such history when it comes to English literature or activism against broader authoritarianism.

However, with unprecedented challenges in different ways and old-fashioned book burnings, now is also a good time for a reminder of the necessity of expanding on the typical activities around this week and beyond.

To get started Pen America has huge research and reports on Book Bans in the US.

The School Library Journal has an article detailing the chilling effect and soft censorship in school libraries through its 2022 Controversial Book Survey.

Book Riot’s Anti-Censorship Tool Kit gives practical advice to both citizens and educators, librarians, or administrators. Along with a plethora of other information, plus the Literary Activism Newsletter.

Likewise, publisher Penguin Random House partnering with various organizations has a Banned Book Resources Hub.

You can also support PAC EveryLibrary which is doing important work to promote a variety of libraries and aid their workers.

A queer school librarian explains why book bans are a bigger issue and offers concrete tips for action.

Specifically geared toward comics the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (post Brownstein) continues to have resources to consult as well.

If ‘Books Unite Us’, then we need to be united in recognizing and further standing up to protect precious rights and freedoms, oppose discrimination and fascism, stemming broad chilling effects along with guarding a fundamental backbone of society.

I had a Good!Morgana/magic reveal idea. What if Arthur found out about Morgana’s magic? And decided to be rational and smart about it?

When the window breaks, he realises that only Morgana was anywhere near. It’s just a random thought, but then he remembers all the times her nightmares come true or that she warned him about something and he listened only for her to be right.

Then he overhears Gaius talking to someone and saying that Morgana is too close to Uther and that it’d be better if she never knew about her magic. (even though she’s loosing control and clearly terrified and in need of help, he’s furious about that because magic or no, she’s still Morgana.) Arthur storms off, not bothering to find out who Gaius was talking to because he’s just been hit by the reality that magic isn’t a choice therefore he might have to reevaluate his whole belief system because he doesn’t want to think people can be born evil.

Of course he isn’t happy about it, but Morgana is too good and she never would’ve chosen magic, she was too smart for that in Camelot and too afraid for it to be deliberate. For whatever reason, Gaius was keeping Morgana’s magic secret even from her, so he didn’t want to go to the physician. So he goes to Geoffrey, knowing that like Gaius, he knows about life before the purge.

The librarian apparently hid a bunch of illegal books? So Arthur gets reading and learns about magic, about those born with it, about those who use it for good, that magic could be like a sword to attack or defend. Then he learns that’s wrong, a stab wound is still a stab wound but if he wants to believe magic can be truly good then there has to be more to it than a weapon. He realises there’s no inherent morality in magic, just intent from the person using it and impact of those around. He starts looking at how useful magic can be, how it can heal, you get the idea.

Uther finds out somehow and summons Arthur, Morgana and the council to the throne room so he can sentence Morgana to death. No one knows how to react, but Arthur steps forward, gently pushes Morgana behind him, sending Merlin a look that says to keep her safe. Merlin nods and Morgana is trembling while he reassures her that she’s safe. He promises that no harm will come and that he’ll break her out of the citadel if he has to.

Arthur yells at Uther and eventually throws a gauntlet down, saying he’s challenging for the throne on account of madness. He basically paints Uther to be mentally unstable and therefore unfit to rule. They fight there, and like the scene where Arthur finds out about his mother, Uther is pinned to the throne when Merlin stops Arthur from killing Uther, (there’s significance to that, it wouldn’t bring Arthur peace. But Morgana ordering his execution? That helps her get closure.)

Anyway, Merlin takes the sword and holds it to Uther’s chest for Arthur, whispering something about “Morgana needs him now more than ever.” So Arthur takes Uther’s crown and orders Leon to take him to his chambers and not to let him leave. He then turns to Morgana, sees her trembling and holds out a hand to her. She looks at him suspiciously, so he sighs and tell her they’ll talk about repealing the ban once he’s figured out what to do with Uther.

Morgana frowns, so Arthur says something like “As far as I’m concerned, Camelot is your home. You’re my sister in all but blood, and I’m not going to watch you die for something you had no choice in. We’ll find you a tutor, someone to teach you control so your nightmares don’t bother you so much, and if you want it you’ll have a place on my council. As court sorceress or advisor or whatever you want.”

Then Morgana hugs him, crying and thanking him for everything. Merlin is looking proud but regretfully so because of the situation. Arthur has him clear the hallways so he can lead Morgana back to her chambers where she’ll be safe and where she won’t have to worry about anyone seeing her cry because Arthur knows she’s never really cried in front of anyone but Gwen, only ever fake tears to manipulate men in court to her favour.

They’ve got technicalities to sort out and whatever else but they work it out and basically everything ends up happily ever after.

I did a short interview for an alumni spotlight on the CCA website. You can click through but I'll also just copy my answers below the cut.

Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir) is a nonbinary/queer/trans author and illustrator, a voracious reader, a k-pop fan, and a daydreamer. You can learn an astonishing number of intimate details about em in Gender Queer: A Memoir and in eir other short comics, published by The New Yorker, The Nib, The Washington Post and in many print anthologies. Gender Queer won a Stonewall Honor and an Alex Award from the American Library Association in 2020. It was also the most challenged book in the United States in 2021 and 2022.

Maia shares more about eir life as a full-time artist and activist, fighting to protect diverse literature and the freedom to access information.

1. What is your current practice/business?

I am a full time cartoonist. My job consists of days working at home writing and drawing mixed with days speaking out against book banning and censorship, and in support of the freedom to read, the freedom to teach, and the freedom to access information. I spend a lot of time talking with other authors, teachers, and librarians about protecting diverse and queer books from the current wave of conservative attacks. The first piece I drew for the comics journalism site The Nib was about the rise of fascism in the United States; my later writing about queer, trans, and nonbinary identities has led me into consistently political territory.

2. Why did you choose CCA?

I chose CCA because I was looking for a MFA Comics program, of which there are very few, and I wanted to stay in the Bay Area. Because I'm a local, I was able to meet the majority of the MFA Comics faculty before I applied and felt immediately welcomed into their community. The fact that a majority of my professors for the first year of the program were queer was a huge draw as well.

3. If you could share one piece of advice with current or future students, what would it be?

Every single person has a story only they could tell. No matter what media you are working in, do your best to tell the story which is uniquely yours. If you aren't ready to tell it yet, just keep making art until the time to share that story arrives. No time spent creating is ever wasted.

4. What's your secret to staying inspired and creative?

I realized fairly early in life that my very favorite way to spend the day was drawing while listening to music, a podcast, or an audiobook. I like making things! I would rather be making things than doing almost anything else. I created a life in which I can spend a lot of time creating things and even if I don't particularly know what I am making, I am happy.

5. What do you have coming up?

My second book, Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding, written with Dr Sarah Pietzmeier, is coming out in May 2024 from Dutton. It's a nonfiction comic about chest binding as an aspect of trans healthcare. I'm currently drawing my third book, Saachi's Stories, written with Lucky Srikumar; it's due out from Scholastic Graphix in 2026. I am also working on adapting Gender Queer: A Memoir into an audiobook.

Yesterday, the board of trustees for the library I work at voted unanimously against banning This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson! This was a huge relief for me (and my fellow staff), and I just wanted to share a few takeaways from this experience.

For context, a library patron had submitted a formal request to have the book removed after seeing it displayed alongside other recent additions to our YA section. He took issue with, of course, the chapter on sex ed and provided pages of out-of-context quotes and straight-up lies to make the book appear "dangerous." Lots of the homophobia and puritanism you'd expect. Per our policies, we formed a committee to address his request, and the committee decided the book was fine where it was. Again per policy, he had the option to appeal to the board of trustees, which he took.

We found out he was doing this 5 days before the next board meeting. And even with that short warning, we had over 150 people show up to a small-town library board meeting that often has few or no public attendees! We couldn't fit everyone in our biggest room! Look at us all!!

Public comments are limited to 3 minutes or less, and that still lasted for more than an hour. People spoke who were parents, teachers, nurses, therapists, voting activists, workers at other libraries, and of course, many queer people. They talked about censorship, freedom of expression, freedom to read, the positive impacts of this book and books like it on youth, their own experiences as queer kids and teens or parents or such, and more--too many perspectives to list here. Every single speaker opposed the book ban. Every. One.

The patron who initiated this challenge was present, but left before public comment was over, without speaking.

So, those takeaways:

This is further evidence that campaigns of censorship and queer erasure are perpetuated by individuals and small groups, and don't represent the common view. You can check out stats on ala.org to back this up, but most people, including most parents, oppose book bans.

This turnout was gathered mainly through texts, email, chats (like Discord), phone calls, and word of mouth. Every town and city has people willing to fight and support those fighting the tides of fascism--keep in touch with your community and your allies, your local friends and trusted acquaintances, and when the time comes for action, they will show up.

Pushback, especially public, visible pushback, demoralizes bad actors. These are often people with little to do except organize and promote their hatred, often people with few material problems demanding their attention. (In this case, a retired eye doctor.) Give them a fight, and they often back down. If they don't back down, see #2 and beat them with numbers and passion.

Even after a victory, stay alert. We're prepping for litigation (not that we think he has a case, but he does have a reputation). We're also keeping a close eye on the smaller libraries in nearby towns and townships. Even if someone like this backs down once, they might try their luck somewhere easier. Keep those contact networks from #2 ready to go.

None of this is comprehensive, and your particular situation may well require different tactics. I'm not an expert, just a chronically online trans woman and librarian who's gotten unexpectedly attached to her current town. It was incredibly heartwarming to see so many people stand up for queer teens where I live, when it usually feels like nobody cares about what's happening to queers in the States. This post has already gone on longer than I expected, I'm just still quite emotional and wanted to talk about it. (Also still mentally drained from the past few days of stress...)

Huge shoutout to everyone who helped make this community action happen. Many of them were more eloquent or piercing in their comments, but here's my 3-minute spiel. It was delivered with none of the eye contact or dramatic reading I'd rehearsed because, holy shit, there were a lot of people there!

Honestly, I hate the term "puriteen".

There's a post that keeps going around from a religious trauma survivor about how they are in favor of calling fandom wank "purity culture", but also in favor of the word "puriteen", and I don't know how to tell you this, but you've fallen for basic generation gap type propaganda and more than that, for ageism.

Like, there are whole ass articles challenging the idea that it's all young people spreading purity culture bullshit. Even potentially a study, iirc, though I can't currently find it so take that with a grain of salt.

At least in the US, kids nationwide are challenging book bans, fighting the racism and queermisia that are in part driving them, and saying basically "hey, y'all adults know we can tell the difference between fiction and reality, and that we don't think bad stuff is okay just because it happens in fiction but that also doesn't make the fiction bad, right?"

Like, have you examined your own harmful biases? Because yeah, there are some young people who have some of the worst, absolutely christofascist-informed ideas about fiction. There's also plenty of older people, 30, 40, 50 year olds and older, saying this shit. But, get this, only discourse skews young because internet usage skews young. Have you bothered to look at how many young people actually agree with you? With how many MORE of them are on your side than not?

Have you bothered to look at just how many older people, online and offline, hold these ideas? At the ages of the dozen people actually driving most book bans across the country? At how it's moms for liberty and similar organizations doing the harm? About how saying it's "for the kids" doesn't mean it's "by the kids"?

At how book bannings targeting children are actually yet another form that oppression of youth takes?

Like, this is not some statistical trend you can point to. Blaming kids is entirely based on anecdata - and it's blaming them for something that negatively affects them first and hardest.

You saw a couple of teens who had arguably been groomed into a dangerous puritan ideology by adults who may have also sexually harassed them (especially by distributing both fictional nsfw materials and sometimes even actual genuine CSEM) and decided that this is something related to their age and not, y'know, their status as a vulnerable marginalized class, nevermind something that is nowhere near universal.

You ignored the majority of actual minors saying "yeah no they don't speak for us" in favor of the idea that teens are irrational and basically "stupid" until they reach a certain age, as if this is related to age at all. You ignored the many people your own age and older doing this shit. You ignored how it wasn't even your own age that informed your own opinions, except perhaps to the extent that having what media you could access severely restricted as a child may have limited your ability to form opinions on the media you couldn't access.

I grew up in a culturally christian agnostic household. My trauma is only religious-adjacent, but it was informed by the same kind of purity culture driven by christofascism.

I didn't learn what sex was until 8th grade health class. I wasn't allowed to read books with sexual material in them until well into high school, and even then was discouraged from doing so if it didn't "contribute to the plot". I was shamed for masturbating as an adult living at home (because my mother refused to knock or let me get a door that locked), was told people into BDSM are dangerous, and routinely had my main kink that my mom knew about (piss) treated as essentially a dangerous and harmful mental illness.

My mother repeatedly encouraged me to come to her to discuss anything sexual growing up, and praised me and told me other kids would have hidden it from their parents and she was glad I was such a good kid who didn't keep secrets, and then used it all against me. She tried, pretty hard, to indoctrinate me into purity culture, and yet from the moment I was actually allowed access to social media at 18 and could seek out different viewpoints, I started to realize how very bullshit that all was.

It took a little bit of extra time to interrogate ideas surrounding kinks like cgl, abdl, and general nsfw agere, just because I saw anti-kink messaging around those first, but funny enough the very first counterargument I actually saw convinced me of how bs the anti-kink stuff was with that too.

Like, I don't know how else to explain that a small minority of kids being indoctrinated by a high-control group is not in fact indicative of what most kids believe or that age is a factor in an ideology held as much if not more by adults than kids. And that for the few that are being recruited into these groups in which there is no accountability and concrete evidence of actual predators growing unchallenged, perhaps a sneering insult and blame is not in fact the way to treat people who are more victims of purity culture than you will ever be.

(Also, do you care more about being "right", or effective praxis? Because even in the case of true malicious actors, you should in fact care about not reinforcing the control of the abusive group that meets many criteria of the bite model by proving that said group are the "only" safe people who "respect" them, and that everyone else will insult them for their immutable identity. It's the same reason you don't mistreat the mormons and Jehovah's witnesses that knock on your door, because you are literally doing the cult's work for them if you do.)

You should also care about interrogating your own ageism instead of going "no, that's not bigoted because children are really like that!!1". Fun fact, that's just as bigoted as if the word "children" was replaced with any other marginalized group. Your own ignorance and biases about children being irrational and unintelligent are not actually the "facts" you think they are.

The word "puriteen" is as useless as it is inaccurate. Most kids aren't actually for purity culture. Plenty of adults are for it. Acting like this is about age because of some bullshit pseudoscience about "brains that aren't fully developed" (brains never stop developing and the cut-off of 25 that's often cited and more often internalized was based on a study that didn't actually examine people OVER 25) or because kids are all "irrational" and "unable to think critically" and just "like that" shows me you've never once actually spoken to the vast majority of kids.

I have trauma from purity culture that's heavily adjacent to religious trauma, and we should retire "puriteen" forever.

Bigotry is never justified. Not to fight purity culture, not to fight other bigotry. If you are handwaving this as hysterical or ridiculous or over-the-top accusations, or that they prove you right about teens:

1. You're part of the problem. Convincing people that a marginalized group and their allies' accusations of bigotry are bullshit or crazy or overblown is foundational to the perpetuity of the marginalized group's oppression.

2. If you need to hear it from an ally and not a kid, I'm turning 27 next month.

3. Not wanting to examine your own discomfort around being called out for your bigotry and the ways you justify it, is a you problem.

If you are marginalized yourself in any way, unless you are somehow privileged enough that you've never experienced this, you should know EXACTLY how shitty it feels to call out bigotry and have people (who are often not marginalized in that way) laugh in your face and call you insane for daring to suggest they could be bigoted by doing [actively and glaringly bigoted thing].

If you've never had this happen, because you've only called out types of bigotry that most people recognize as such to people willing to listen, you may also need to examine your own internalized bigotry against your own identity. You may have done this to people in your own community who were brave enough to call out forms of bigotry that are less recognized and whose accusations were more ridiculed. You may be accepting mistreatment of yourself and your community because you're too scared of backlash to call it out, or even think you deserve it, and that's... not good.

Karen Smith, Who Took an Oath on a Stack of Banned Books, Tells the Story Behind the Viral Photo

by Kara Yorio

The viral photo has become a symbol of the fight for intellectual freedom. It was retweeted by actor and activist George Takei and singer Pink, among thousands of others.

Central Bucks County (PA) School Board president Karen Smith’s decision to get sworn in on a stack of frequently challenged books that have been attacked in her district was not an intentional attempt to become the poster person for fighting book banners. It was not done to become known as a “badass,” as those on the internet have declared her.

In reality, an off-hand comment in a group text—and nearly two years of fighting for students in the district to have access to books—led to the moment and image that lit up social media feeds after the December 4 ceremony.

Following victory in the November 7 election, an incoming board member for the Central Bucks County Board of Education wrote in a group text that they should take their oath on banned books. While no one else in the group followed through on the suggestion, Smith thought it was a great idea. Not being religious, the Bible doesn’t carry great meaning to her. On the other hand, over the past two years, she has realized how much the freedom to read and giving kids access to a diverse selection of books does mean to her.

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