Jennifer Finney Boylan, Transgender Author & Advocate, Elected President of PEN America

Author and queer rights activists Jennifer Finney Boylan has been elected president of PEN America, an organization that has been vocal against book bans in schools and libraries across the country.

”As PEN president, it is my job to fight for free expression on the right and the left,” she said, according to The New York Times. “I’m an author. I’m a writer. And at this perilous moment, I am really going to try to fight for everybody as best I can.”

She'll now lead the board of trustees as bans continue to increase.

Boylan, who is transgender and had previously served as the vice president of the PEN board, has authored 18 books, including memoirs about her experiences as a transgender woman. She highlighted the impact of storytelling, saying, “Hearts are opened. Minds are changed by the power of storytelling. And that’s why there are people now trying to ban books.”

Boylan said the role operated as a defender of freedom of speech.

“Look, people are going to see in me an L.G.B.T.Q. advocate, but that’s not my job as PEN president. My job is to fight for freedom of speech for everybody, including people I disagree with. I’m going to be fighting for free expression for liberals and conservatives because freedom of speech is under attack from the right and the left,” she told the paper. "From the right, there are book bans and educational gag orders. On the left, there can be efforts to prevent certain writers from telling the stories that they want to tell because they don’t have the right identity, and to suppress or reject books based on the topic or the author’s conduct without even giving the work a chance."

Boylan’s appointment as president of PEN America holds significant implications for the LGBTQ+ community and advocates for freedom of expression. More and more libraries and school districts in GOP-led states have banned books and removed publications from shelves — even The Advocate's sibling publication Out was removed from a library in Pennsylvania.

Founded in 1922, PEN America has a long history of advocating for freedom of expression and has played a significant role in championing LGBTQ+ voices. Over the years, the organization has supported LGBTQ+ writers in their battles against censorship and discrimination. Boylan’s election as president marks a milestone in PEN’s ongoing commitment to promoting LGBTQ+ literature and ensuring that LGBTQ+ voices are heard.

Boylan’s literary contributions have been instrumental in advancing LGBTQ+ rights. Her best-selling memoirs, She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders and I’m Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted, have not only shared her journey but have also resonated with audiences, helping to break down stereotypes and create understanding.

She's previously served as the national co-chair of GLAAD and was a contribution opinion columnist for the Times.

Her presidency at PEN America serves as a reminder that the fight for LGBTQ+ rights goes hand-in-hand with the fight for free speech, creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all LGBTQ+ individuals.

"In some ways, [writing] the most powerful form of activism.Hearts are opened. Minds are changed by the power of storytelling.And that’s why there are people now trying to ban books," Boylan said.