UK-based author says he will overturn his book ‘The Queer Bible’ ban in the US
A writer, presenter and former model from the United Kingdom (UK) has been surprised to be at the center of an unprecedented wave of book bans in the United States (US). Jack Guinness, the publisher of “The Queer Bible,” realized that his anthology had been caught up in the book ban in the United States. Following which the publisher tweeted, “Dazzled – they’re at $40,000! Raising funds to support the Madison County Library System. Mississippi Mayor Gene McGeeis withholds their funding and demands that they purge LGBTQ+ books and choose The Queer Bible.”
The Madison County Library has been instructed by a Mississippi mayor to remove LGBTQ+ books from its shelves or risk losing funds. The Queer Bible, a collection of LGBTQ+ history essays edited by Jack Guinness, was one of the books cited as an example. Gene McGee, the Republican mayor of Ridgeland, has refused to provide funds to the library until the queer articles are removed.
GQ magazine dubbed Guinness “the coolest man in Britain”
Guinness, once dubbed “Britain’s coolest man” by GQ magazine, worked as a model after graduating for brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Dunhill, and became a well-known figure in the London social scene. He was Alexa Chung’s roommate and knew Pixie Geldof, DJ Nick Grimshaw and musician Florence Welch.
He quickly moved from modeling to working as a host and writer for Vogue, GQ and The Guardian. He has been named to Attitude Magazine’s Trailblazing List of Notable LGBTQ Contributors to the Arts since launching Queer Bible as a website in 2017. He is also a member of Sadiq Khan’s Public Domain Diversity Commission at London.
The Queer Bible is a collection of stories written by “by queer heroes about their queer heroes”. Sir Elton John, Graham Norton, designer Tan France, skier Gus Kenworthy and model Munroe Bergdorf are among the contributors. It is based on a website that features LGBTQ+ people and their stories. Guinness and other Queer Bible supporters contributed to a crowdfunding campaign to replace the $110,000 withheld by the mayor. The goal is finally achieved.
Additionally, in the past year, the American Library Association has seen an extraordinary increase in anti-book campaigns. New legislation in Texas and Oklahoma has made it easier to remove books featuring black and LGBTQ+ experiences from bookstores on the grounds that they may cause anger or stress. After gaining hands-on experience with school texts during pandemic homeschooling, parents are spearheading a number of campaigns.
