The US Department of Defense has suspended access to all library books in Pentagon schools serving military families for a week while conducting a compliance review under Donald Trump's executive orders targeting gender ideology and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The review affects up to 67,000 children across 160 schools in seven US states and 11 countries.
A memo sent to parents on Monday stated that officials are examining books 'potentially related to gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology topics.' A small number of items have been identified and removed from shelves for further evaluation, with access limited to professional staff. The Guardian obtained a list of affected titles, including 'No Truth Without Ruth' about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and 'Freckleface Strawberry' by actor Julianne Moore.
The censorship has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Representative Jamie Raskin condemned the move as 'naked content and viewpoint censorship of books' during a House judiciary committee hearing, calling on colleagues to denounce the purge in Department of Defense libraries and other public libraries.
Beyond books, the crackdown includes broader changes. A memo to schools in Europe bans personal pronouns in email signatures, requires use of 'sex' instead of 'gender' in documents, and restricts facility access based on 'biological sex.' Celebrations of cultural observances like Black History Month have been halted, and groups such as Pride club and Women in Stem have been shuttered. A DoD elementary school in Germany removed a portrait of Michelle Obama as part of the changes.
