SCBWI Blog: Suprises & Silver Linings: When LGBTQ+ Picture Books Go to the Supreme Court

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

Green background, top fringe of rainbow stars and two rainbows pointing toward a photo image. Photo of Supreme Court building with cartoon child with purple hair and pink bunny ears, yellow shirt with rainbow heart, blue pants, with her hand on a puppy with a rainbow bandana. The child is pulling a wagon full of the 9 picture books named in Mahmoud v Taylor.

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 As we wait for the decision tomorrow, here is a blog post about the surprises & silver linings of having books involved in this case:

🌈 “I’d grown up without LGBTQ+ books, without being able to be out. So when I wrote my LGBTQ+ picture book Love, Violet to fill that gap, I expected it to be censored.” “Then… the U.S. Supreme Court announced that they would hear Mahmoud v. Taylor, which names Love, Violet and eight other LGBTQ+ picture books.

That I was not expecting. It was the first of many surprises.”

💜 June 26, 2025: “Suprises and Silver Linings: When LGBTQ+ Picture Books Go to the Supreme Court” 💜

Green background, white text inside a wavy-lined box, with rainbow star fringe along the top. "Times like these can tear our souls and communities apart. It's easy to despair. But adversity reminds us [of our] need [for] each other... of the importance of our smallest action... of the value of laughter - that sign that we are yet alive and unconquered."

🏳️‍🌈 Also check out a bonus cartoon and quotations from other authors and illustrators in this case, plus article links from many of us!

Green background, white text inside a wavy-lined box, rainbow star fringe on top and big rainbow on one side. "For all the evil and harm, silver gleams everywhere. We can choose connection. We can choose love."