Queerlit Collective: Fighting fascist book bans
- by Brian Eckberg
Two-Spirit Columnist
All Nations Two-Spirit Society
There is a Cherokee proverb: “Pay attention to the whispers, so we won’t have to listen to the screams.” This sage advice has been ignored in recent history, from 1930s Germany to the 1950s in America to the 1990s in Russia.
As conservatives continue to embrace book bans, censorship and scrubbing education of inconvenient history, America lurches further toward fascism as the whispers now loudly approach scream level.
Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has purged schools of books that he determined to be “woke,” with taxpayer-funded guidance from far-right hate groups like Moms For Liberty and Libs Of TikTok. He has mandated that schools include lessons from a King James Version of the Bible and use a Protestant numbering of the Ten Commandments.
This blatantly unconstitutional move toward a specific religion (and specifically the Protestant sect of Christianity) is being challenged with painfully slow progress through the US court system. Sadly, under Walters, Oklahoma schools are a national laughingstock and currently rank 49th out of 50 states, according to US News & World Report.
But the news isn’t all bad. In May, the US Supreme Court narrowly overturned public funding of an Oklahoma religious charter school only after Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case due to a conflict of interest. The US Constitution and democracy itself are teetering on the brink of survival. At the same time, neo-fascists like Walters pursue a culture war to eliminate diversity, factual history and representation of thought.
It is against this backdrop that Michelle Simmons decided that something had to be done. Simmons, who became library director at Oklahomans For Equality (OKEQ) in 2022, says, “Many of us were angry and needed an outlet. We were being marginalized and pushed aside, so I created a non-profit.”
In June 2024, Queer Lit Collective (QLC) began creating small community libraries throughout the city of Tulsa. Today, there are six locations. “These locations are housed in safe spaces, where all identities are welcome.”
As QLC enters its second year, they continue to expand their collection of queer literature representation, with plans to add more locations in other cities (Oklahoma City, Enid) and states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri).
“These mini libraries are a great way to circumvent societal complications that prevent people from reading what they choose,” Simmons said. This past spring, QLC added nine books about Two-Spirit identities and history to help combat conservative erasure. And like all great public libraries, your access is always free of charge.
Anyone can obtain a library card at www.queerlitcollective.org. While you’re there, browse the library’s locations, check the catalog for book availability, and consider donating to support their essential work.
Asked if she had a message for leaders like Ryan Walters, Simmons responded, “Do what you want to stop us, but we have always existed. And queer people will always find a way to be heard. You cannot make us quiet. We are stronger and louder and more resilient.”
So go on, exercise your constitutional rights while they’re still available to flex. Read a banned book. QueerLit Collective’s existence is a defiant reminder that you maintain your right to decide what you read, even in Oklahoma.
The Gayly. 10/12/2025 @ 2:43 CST.