We are reaching out to you to help amplify sapphic stories during the first full week of October, inspired by the American Library Association’s work to spotlight Banned Books Week.

The Need
LGBTQ+ stories continue to face bans and challenges. We stand together whenever our voices are attacked.

The Purpose
To highlight education, advocacy, and visibility for sapphic literature, standing in solidarity with authors whose work has been targeted and affirming the right to read and write sapphic stories.

The Action
SASS and GCLS are partnering on a campaign for Banned Books Week (Oct. 5–11), which coincides with National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11). Join us by using the hashtag  #SapphicsWithTheBanned, sharing campaign graphics, and amplifying our message across your own channels.

Graphics and Resources
Becks Quirk, Director of Outreach for GCLS, has created campaign graphics featuring PEN America stats, banned book covers, National Coming Out Day designs, and customizable templates for authors. Becks has also generously offered to help authors add their covers to these templates.

All graphics and access to author templates will be in a shared folder (the full selection will be added by Friday).

Ways to Participate (What YOU Can Do)

Everyone

• Share posts by SASS and GCLS on Instagram, Bluesky, and other channels. (Make sure you are following SASS on Instagram and Bluesky and GCLS on its channels.) 

• Use campaign graphics with your own messaging using the hashtag #SapphicsWithTheBanned. (Keep posts focused on books and our shared message; please avoid including political rhetoric and negative messaging when using campaign graphics; see SASS/GCLS examples.)

• Share a post for National Coming Out Day

  • Share the name of the sapphic book where you first saw yourself or where others may find themselves.

  • Highlight the importance of sapphic books or a particular book that mattered to you.

  • Need templates? SASS and GCLS are creating options and graphics that will be added to the folder by Friday.

• Join the video campaign Submit a short clip (under 30 seconds and in landscape orientation) with your name, role (optional; e.g., author of sapphic spec fic), and why standing against book bans matters. Send to [email protected] by Sunday, Oct. 5 at 10pm ET.

Authors

There are two opportunities for authors to include their books in campaign graphics: (1) by submitting up to three covers for communal graphics that SASS and GCLS will post and (2) by requesting custom individual graphics from an assortment of templates that the author will then post. Thank you to Becks Quirk for very generously offering to assist authors with these graphics.

Submit Your Covers for Communal Graphics

• Each author may submit up to three covers to be included in communal, shared graphics (see example) that SASS and GCLS will post. Please share books with different tropes/themes, as we plan to mix and match these throughout multiple slides.

• Send covers for communal graphics to [email protected] by Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2pm EST.

• The following presses have confirmed permission for their authors to share covers:

  • PenLight Industries

  • Desert Palm Press

  • Launch Point Press

  • Bold Strokes Books

  • Bywater Books

  • NineStar Press

  • Bella Books

• Note: If your press is not listed, please get permission before sharing your covers with SASS/GCLS. It is important that we are all in this together.

Request Custom Graphics to Post

• An assortment of custom graphic templates is available for authors to add their covers to (see examples below). Templates can be viewed at this link.

• Authors can request access to the templates to add their own covers in Canva or they can request that Becks make up to three custom graphics for them. Here is a how-to document that describes the process.

• Send requests to [email protected] by Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2pm EST to receive images by Wednesday or by Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 2pm EST to receive images by Friday (the 10th).

Thank you for your support. There are many ways to be involved in this campaign, and any help you can provide to stand up for the books we all care deeply about matters. If you have any questions, email [email protected]. 

**This will be the only newsletter email before the campaign starts, so please check the Sapphic Action Support Squad FB group if you want more info. The graphics folder linked above will include all of the resources you’ll need. 

The SASS newsletter provides our community with information, analysis, resources, and even short sapphic fiction to keep us informed, mobilized, and connected. By working together to defend our community, our literature and our livelihoods, we can surmount the obstacles placed in our path and thrive!