“I Joyfully Dissent”: Once Upon a Ban Blog – My Full Response to Mahmoud v. Taylor

Posted by & filed under Book Bans & Censorship, LGBTQIAP2+, LOVE VIOLET, Picture Books, SCOTUS.

background, crumpled pink foil, decorative hearts, cover of the picture book Love, Violet, author photo of light-skinned woman with long wavy dark blonde hair, slight smile. ""I Joyfully Dissent: Author Charlotte Sullivan Wild on Mahmoud v. Taylor and Where We Go From Here. By Once Upon a Ban"

I so appreciate the work Once Upon a Ban does to highlight challenged books and the importance of reading freedom. They graciously invited me to share about the experience of having a book named in Mahmoud v. Taylor in April. After offering a short response to the Supreme Court’s decision on June 27, 2025, I appreciated their invitation to share a more in-depth response for Once Upon a Ban readers:

“I Joyfully Dissent: Author Charlotte Sullivan Wild on Mahmoud v. Taylor and Where We Go From Here”

crumpled pick background, burgundy heart text box: “It’s not easy, but learning to respectfully disagree and live in difference, with mutual care for each other, is the heart of democracy.”

🌈 “It’s not easy, but learning to respectfully disagree and live in difference, with mutual care for each other, is the heart of democracy.”

same style, purple background, pink speech box with decorative hearts: “Justice Alito deems our books ‘coercive’ because of their JOY. But JOY belongs to EVERYONE.”

💜 “Justice Alito deems our books ‘coercive’ because of their JOY.
But JOY belongs to EVERYONE.”

same style, pick background, dark violet speech box with white text: “The Supreme Court majority isn’t content to choose their own marriage type & respect other people’s legal freedoms. They’ve opted to erase LGBTQ+ children & families. LGBTQ+ existence offends them. LGBTQ+ joy angers them. My response? I JOYFULLY DISSENT. "

🌈 “The Supreme Court majority
isn’t content to choose their
own marriage type & respect
other people’s legal freedoms.

They’ve opted to erase
LGBTQ+ children & families.
LGBTQ+ existence offends them.
LGBTQ+ joy angers them.
My response?

I JOYFULLY DISSENT. ”

crumpled pink backtround, cream heart speech box, with decorative hearts: “It’s time to pivot from horror to positive action. Hate is loud, but love is stronger. Love is the reason for inclusive education. Love reminds us that, even on the hardest, angriest days, we belong to each other.”

💜 “It’s time to pivot from horror to positive action.
Hate is loud,
but love is stronger.
Love is the reason for inclusive education.
Love reminds us that, even on the hardest, angriest days,
we belong to each other.”

Once Upon a Ban blog post.

(Shorter response to the Supreme Court decision, with additional links.)