Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Robin Stevenson

@robinstevenson.bsky.social

2.8K followers 400 following 560 posts

Author: Pride Puppy; Pride Colors; Queer History A-Z; A Hug on the Wind; Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle; Kid Activists and more. (She/her) Coming spring 2026: The Book of Jupiter www.robinstevenson.com https://linktr.ee/pridepuppy 🏳️‍🌈🍁📚

linktr.ee

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · Aug 30

I wrote this in May: "Here in Canada, we are not immune to the influence of our neighbors to the south... As we watch what is happening in the US, I hope we will continue to speak up for the freedom to read."

As Alberta bans books, I'm glad to see people pushing back!

macleans.ca/society/how-...

How My LGBTQ Kids’ Book Ended Up at the U.S. Supreme Court - Macleans.ca

My book Pride Puppy is about love and inclusion. Watching its message get twisted by hate and misinformation has been devastating.

macleans.ca

1 12 35

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 18h

99.97% of families did not object to their kids reading Pride Puppy and other books about LGBTQ+ characters. Which makes sense, because parents generally want their kids to learn about the world and the people in it, and trust teachers to select picture books to share.

Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 19h

Some good news! After all that, only O.03% of families opted out of LGBTQ+ Education in Maryland after the Supreme Court gave them the ability to do so. Not just a majority, not just most families, nearly all families want their kids to have access to this education. We are the majority

Only 0.03% Opt Out Of LGBTQ+ Education In Maryland After SCOTUS Gives Them A Right To

After SCOTUS gave families a right to opt out of LGBTQ+ education, Montgomery County, Maryland is reporting only 43 families took them up on it.

www.erininthemorning.com

2 4

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 1d

I can't help at all but I think my dad would like your dad.

1 1

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 5d

Ugh. I'm also a Quirk author, with a book coming out next month, and I'm just seeing this news now... 😭

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 5d

Huh. A less than ideal way to find out this news about the publisher I have a book coming out with next month. (To be fair, I am quite sure my editors would have let me know if they hadn't already been fired.)

Publishers Lunch @publisherslunch.bsky.social · 7d

After a rough stretch, Quirk Books has been sold to Andrews McMeel Publishing.
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2025/10/quir...

Quirk Books Is Sold to Andrews McMeel - Publishers Lunch

Quirk Productions, which has been on an acquisitions pause since early this summer after “facing marketplace and operational challenges for the past few years,” has been acquired by Andrews McMeel Pub...

lunch.publishersmarketplace.com

1 14

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 5d

Same! Though at this point, I'm not even sure who "they" is. Who is even still there? I have no idea what's going on or who to ask, so... 🤷

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 5d

Oh wow. Huh. Just seeing this now...

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 5d

Just hearing about this now. Wow. Don't really know what to say, other than ughhhhh...and also that I loved working with you, Alex and @jamteayang.bsky.social and I'm so sorry about all of this.

1 2

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 5d

AS DO I

Reposted by Robin Stevenson

Kelly Mangan (She/Her) 🏳️‍🌈💖💜💙 @kellyamangan.bsky.social · 7d

Librarians, booksellers, & educators— when you talk about banned books, please focus on the thousands of CONTEMPORARY books that are being banned right now.

For example….
#BannedBooksWeek

Book cover: last night at the telegraph club

15 59 99

Reposted by Robin Stevenson

HumanKIND Initiative @humankindpride.bsky.social · 6d

Our Banned Books Week celebration of LBGTQ+ books continues with a look at children's books. You're never too young to see your family represented in a picture book, and know that you belong and are loved. /1

Mr. Watson's Chickens, by Jarrett Dapier and Andrea Tsurumi

Pride Puppy!, by Robin Stevenson and Julie McLaughlin

Jacob's Room to Choose, by Sarah Hoffman and Ian Hoffman

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, by Rob Sanders and Steven Salerno

When Aidan Became a Big Brother, by Kyle Lukoff and Kaylani Juanita

My Rainbow, by DeShanna Neal, Trinity Neal, and Art Twink

Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen and Lucia Soto

And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, and Henry Cole

1 2 6

Reposted by Robin Stevenson

Alex Gino @alexgino.bsky.social · 5d

Hey! @slj.com's Day of Dialog is tomorrow, and it's free! I'll be live at 10 AM ET, talking middle grade with @veedabybee.bsky.social, McCall Hoyle, Primo Gallanosa, & Colleen Nelson, mod: Hilda Gonzalez. Excited to chat about my upcoming 6th book, CHRIS MAKES A FRIEND. www.slj.com/event/school...

School Library Journal Day of Dialog Fall 2025

Join us October 9th for SLJ Day of Dialog—fully virtual and free to attend! Our daylong program of author panels, in-depth conversations, and keynote talks will leave you informed, inspired, and enter...

www.slj.com

1 2

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 7d

Hahaha

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 7d

Of course, if you are an author and want to do something less petty and more practical to resist book bans, join Authors Against Book Bans - and if you are a Canadian author/illustrator 🇨🇦 then please join Canadian Authors and Illustrators Against Book Bans. We need you! linktr.ee/caiabb?fbcli...

7 11

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 7d

We just formed in August and already have over 150 members from Halifax to Vancouver Island. Read more about us and sign up here: linktr.ee/caiabb?fbcli...

CAIABB | Instagram | Linktree

Canadian Authors & Illustrators Against Book Bans

linktr.ee

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 7d

It's Banned Book Week in the US, and here in Canada, we need to be standing up against censorship and defending the right to read. If you are a published Canadian author or illustrator, writing for kids or adults, please join Canadian Authors and Illustrators Against Book Bans.

1 4 10

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 7d

One of the fun things about writing fiction is getting to name characters. Trying to ban my books? You can look forward to seeing a character with your name come to an unfortunate end in a future one! I'm currently finding this quite cathartic.

3 5 25

Reposted by Robin Stevenson

Preeti Chhibber @runwithskizzers.bsky.social · 7d

every author in this video has had their books banned #BannedBooksWeek #UniteAgainstBookBans

get involved to stop the attacks on our freedom to read: uniteagainstbookbans.org

Fierce Reads @fiercereads.bsky.social · 8d

We have a very important message for you this #BannedBooksWeek: Get involved! All week long we'll be sharing tips on books to read and how to join the fight for the freedom to read. ⁣
⁣
#FreedomToRead #BooksNotBans #BannedBooks #ReadBannedBooks

36 55

Reposted by Robin Stevenson

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 7d

I'm sorry but how does this person have standing to challenge Colorado's ban on LGBTQ conversion therapy when she has explicitly disclaimed any desire to change a patient's sexual orientation or gender identity? How is this a real case? slate.com/news-and-pol...

The Supreme Court’s First Blockbuster Case This Term Looks Pretty Fake

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Chiles v. Salazar, a case that seeks to undo a major triumph of the LGBTQ+ movement.

slate.com

45 280 980

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 7d

Bigots and book banners, as always, are shown to be a small (though very loud) minority: "99.97 percent of families, even when given the option, chose to let their children learn about LGBTQ+ people."

Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 7d

1. 4 months ago, The Supreme Court gave families a right to opt out of LGBTQ+ education in schools.

Now, in Montgomery County, Maryland, where the case originated, the results are in.

Only 43 families out of 160,000 students have exercised that new right.

Subscribe to support our journalism.

Only 0.03% Opt Out Of LGBTQ+ Education In Maryland After SCOTUS Gives Them A Right To

After SCOTUS gave families a right to opt out of LGBTQ+ education, Montgomery County, Maryland is reporting only 43 families took them up on it.

www.erininthemorning.com

5 11

Reposted by Robin Stevenson

Bisexual Kaiju @bisexualkaiju.myatproto.social · 8d

So you want to support living marginalized banned authors but your local banned books week displays and events are full of famous dead people?

Not to worry: your helpful non-binary bookseller is here to help!

A thread!

7 420 750

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 10d

"When books that merely describe sexuality, American history, or LGBTQ people are consistently challenged... it’s not because they’re getting accidentally caught in a well-intentioned child-protective dragnet. They are targets of a deliberate effort to ban books deemed to have the wrong viewpoints."

Benj @splatterthought.bsky.social · 10d

Gift link.

www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

A Half Century of American Book Banning

In the 21st century, censorship of work like Judy Blume’s has evolved into a broader attack on books.

www.theatlantic.com

3 11

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 10d

Fox News dropping the audio clip of Gorsuch lying about Pride Puppy... into a completely unrelated story about Harvard... with no explanation given. I know Fox is kinda unhinged but why so obsessed with our little alphabet book?

Screenshot of this article: https://www.foxnews.com/media/harvard-hires-drag-queen-lawhore-vagistan-visiting-professor-gender-sexuality-studies

Reposted by Robin Stevenson

Publishers Weekly @publisherswkly.bsky.social · 11d

Publishing Professionals Against Book Bans, a new resource-sharing community affiliated with Authors Against Book Bans and geared toward industry insiders, will host its first virtual town hall, “Book Bans and the Art of Protecting Authors,” on October 28.

Publishing Pros Band Together to Root Out Censorship

Publishing Professionals Against Book Bans, a new resource-sharing community affiliated with Authors Against Book Bans and geared toward industry insiders, will host its first virtual town hall on…

buff.ly

1 11 22

Reposted by Robin Stevenson

skellyton bones jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 11d

This ruling, which pulls significantly from the May ruling from the Fifth Circuit, says that you as a taxpayer have no First Amendment rights when it comes to library collections or access to library materials.

You are losing your rights. You should care about this.

bookriot.com/parnell-vs-e...

Another Judge Chips Away at Library Patron First Amendment Rights

A District Court judge rules that neither library patrons nor authors have First Amendment rights when it comes to library collections.

bookriot.com

1 18 35

Reposted by Robin Stevenson

PEN America @penamerica.bsky.social · 11d

Never before has access to so many stories been stolen from so many children. #bannedbooks

1 8 18