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In an absolutely baller move, Pink is sticking it to the state of Florida by giving away 2,000 books while on tour in the Miami area.
A voracious reader herself, the musician is partnering with PEN America, a nonprofit organization that focuses on the protection of free speech. The Sunshine State and Governor Ron DeSantis passed legislation earlier this year to push the removal of certain books in the state’s classrooms. The bills include the Parental Rights in Education Bill (also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill) and the Stope WOKE Act, and they forbid discussions of race and sexual orientation “in a manner that is not age or developmentally appropriate.” This extends to children’s books like “The Family Book” by Todd Parr, which depicts multiple family makeups and is part of Pink’s giveaway.
The bills make it easier for far-right parental rights groups like Moms for Liberty to ban books on topics like racism, race, LGBTQIA rights, gender, and sexuality. Florida is leading the nation in banned books, with more than 1,400 cases across 33 school districts.
Which books is Pink giving out at her concerts?
Pink is now partnering with local book store Books & Books and PEN to bring attention to the rise in banned books in the state, and the four free books come from PEN’s list of banned books. In addition to “The Family Book,” Pink is also giving away “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, and a book from Reshma Saujani’s series, “Girls Who Code.”
Not all of the singer’s fans were pleased with her decision. Since the announcement, she has been fending off naysayers left and right, but the “So What” singer isn’t missing a beat. She was attacked for “promoting pornography” and had this to say in response: “Porn isn’t my thing. Supporting freedom of speech is. Allowing hateful, narrow minded bigots to decide what all children can read is not my thing either. FREEDOM! MERICA!”