Reading for Resistance Campaign Launch

The suppression and demonistation of LGBTQ+ voices, experiences and rights did not end with the repeal of Section 28. Targeted efforts to restrict access to queer books, stories and rights in the UK not only continue, but are steadily growing.

This November marks 23 years since the repeal of Section 28, it is also Trans Awareness Week. Join us, Amnesty International UK Queer Rights Network, for the public launch of Reading for Resistance, our new campaign bringing together libraries, councils, authors and communities to defend hardwon LGBTQ+ rights.

We're excited to hear from an incredible panel of speakers, including: Dean Atta, BAFTA award-winning screenwriter and Stonewall Book Award-winning author; Juliet Jacques, acclaimed author, filmmaker and cultural commentator whose work has appeared in The Guardian, London Review of Books, The New York Times and The Washington Post; and Dr Alison Hicks, Associate Professor at UCL whose groundbreaking research into the growing threat of book bans within UK school libraries has recently been picked up by The Guardian and The Independent.

The event will mark also the launch of Amnesty's new Queer Stories Covenant, a public pledge for libraries, councils and cultural institutions committed to protecting access to LGBTQ+ stories and resisting censorship. You'll leave with practical ways to support the campaign and take action in your community.