PFLAG National Presents “Beyond Bans” Featured Session at SXSW EDU 2026
Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones (The 1619 Project), author Casey McQuiston, American Library Association President Sam Helmick and PFLAG National CEO Brian K. Bond discuss ‘Defending LGBTQ+ Stories & Literary Freedom’ on March 11th in Austin and online.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 26, 2026)—On Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 2pm CT/3pm ET, join PFLAG National for a featured session of SXSW EDU, Beyond Bans: Defending LGBTQ+ Stories & Literary Freedom. This live and timely conversation will cover the challenges of advancing the freedom to learn in the face of targeted censorship of stories, authors and histories.
Taking place at the Hilton Austin Downtown and streaming live online on SXSW EDU’s YouTube channel, “Beyond Bans” will be moderated by the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist behind The 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones (she/her). Joining the discussion will be Casey McQuiston (they/them), author of several #1 New York Times bestsellers, as well as American Library Association President Sam Helmick (they/them) and PFLAG National CEO Brian K. Bond (he/him).
“‘Beyond Bans’ occurs on PFLAG’s 53rd anniversary, the day of the first PFLAG meeting, when parents and LGBTQ+ people united in the fight for liberation. Back then, bans also relied on discriminatory tropes about changes impacting schools—like busing, Title IX, and new local laws to protect gay teachers from being fired. These same tired arguments are made now in a coordinated effort to silence our communities. Yet, our united strength is our decades of experience fighting for our pride in education,” said Brian K. Bond.
“We’re incredibly excited to host this timely and critical discussion at SXSW EDU,” said Julia Shatilo, Senior Director of SXSW EDU. “Celebrating and preserving access to diverse stories is vital in classrooms, libraries and beyond, and we’re privileged to have these incredible leaders join us to explore how we can all work together to support LGBTQ+ youth and literary freedom.”
In recent years, book bans in particular have reached unprecedented highs. In the 2024-2025 school year, American Library Association (ALA) and PFLAG’s Banned Books Week partners PEN America tracked more than 6,870 records of challenged titles or removals from school and public libraries nationwide. As ALA and PEN data confirm, the majority of these removals affect books and library resources about race, racism, LGBTQ+ people and topics, or they feature or were penned by people of color. However, these efforts are not rooted in individual or democratic requests. According to the ALA, nearly 72% of ban efforts tracked in 2024 were by pressure groups seeking to change school or public policy.
“Reading has the power to change minds, build empathy, and topple systems, which is why there is such an effort to silence the stories of our deeply rich and diverse culture. I look forward to an empowering discussion that moves us beyond bans, because the stakes for students, educators, and our communities couldn’t be higher,” said Nikole Hannah-Jones.
“Literary freedom is inseparable from freedom of identity,” said Casey McQuiston. “When we defend LGBTQ+ stories, we defend the right of readers everywhere to explore who they are without fear or censorship and that work has never been more urgent than it is today.”
“The freedom to read is foundational to both education and democracy,” said Sam Helmick. “As book bans continue to target LGBTQ+ titles, it’s critical that we stand firm in our commitment to intellectual freedom and work together to advance solutions that keep diverse stories accessible to all.”
SXSW EDU, founded in 2011, brings together leading voices in education to tackle complex issues and drive meaningful impact for learners everywhere. As part of the broader South by Southwest® family of conferences and festivals, the annual event celebrates innovation, experimentation and collaboration across education, policy and culture.
PFLAG’s presence at SXSW EDU reflects the urgency of this moment as inclusive books and LGBTQ+ representation face escalating challenges across the country. By bringing this conversation to a national stage, the organization aims to drive actionable solutions that defend young people’s freedom to read and to learn.
To learn more about PFLAG National, find support, donate or take action, visit PFLAG.org, and spread the word with our social media toolkit.
