Scroll To Top

art censorship

The Smithsonian erased more than a queer Cuban artist's AIDS artwork

By omitting the tragic story behind Felix González-Torres "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), the National Portrait Gallery is setting a perilous precedent, warns art scholar Ignacio Darnaude.

Irreverent: A Celebration of Censorship

A new exhibit responds to the long practice of censorship of LGBT art.

Tom of Finland's Instagram Is Back Up After Being Disabled

A foundation fighting censorship of erotic art saw its famed Instagram page disappear at a suspicious moment. 

True

Photo Finish

Did Prop. 8 backlash cause art censorship -- or its reversal -- at Brigham Young University? Could be, as BYU photography student J. Michael Wiltbank found when his contribution to a two-week-long art exhibition -- eight pairs of benign portraits, each depicting an LGBT-identified BYU student alongside a supportive friend -- had been removed.

Gay Sex Has Been Depicted in Art for Centuries: Why Is It Still Being Censored?

"It’s shockingly rare how seldom queer artists get the space to titillate, to push boundaries, and to be as sexual as the straight men who have built the very institutions that tell us we have to be less ourselves to gain entry," writes artist Christian Rogers.

Drag group slams Donald Trump for takeover of Kennedy Center board and vowing to end drag shows

Trump said that he was specifically motivated to overhaul the center so he could end the drag shows it occasionally hosts.

New Hampshire official quits after receiving homophobic comments about his dead gay son

Littleton Town Manager Jim Gleason quit after art commissioned by a local LGBTQ+ rights group was called "demonic" by a town leader and a resident allegedly said Gleason's son “was in hell with the devil where he belonged.”

China is arresting writers for posting fanfiction and gay erotica

More than 50 writers have been detained in the province of Anhui by a “special task force” assigned with targeting online distributors of erotic fiction.

Lesbian Playwright Paula Vogel Slams Florida School for Banning Play

Renowned creative Paula Vogel is standing in solidarity with students in the Jacksonville area who want to put on her play Indecent.

Matt Smith Gets Explicit in 'Mapplethorpe' Director's Cut Trailer

The star of The Crown is behind the lens in the biopic of the gay photographer's life, now with new scenes.

Human Rights Campaign calls on LGBTQ+ community to dream & to fight for equality at national dinner

In the wake of unprecedented political attacks on the trans community, the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization is stepping in to change hearts and minds.

Artist Brings a Queer Eye to Female Catholic Saints

Alma Lopez's "Queer Saints: Holy Violence" exhibition explores the idea of female saints as butch/masculine lesbians.

Artist Spotlight: Ralph Chubb

Chubb's Uranian poetry and art led him to establish his own press to avoid censorship.

A GOP school board member tried to ban a student's art for being 'offensive' to Christians

Conservative Timothy Simmons tried (and failed) to get his Virginia district to turn on a queer student's moving art piece about religious trauma.

Their LGBTQ+ book is the most challenged in America. Here's why they aren't giving up

George M. Johnson's novel All Boys Aren't Blue released five years ago. Since then, it has become the most banned book in the country.

The Aftermath of Robert Mapplethorpe's Censorship War

Thirty years ago, the acclaimed photographer challenged the nation's censorship laws. Now a new podcast is examining how far we've come.  

North Dakota Bill Would Jail Librarians for Not Removing Certain Books

Calling books about sexual or gender identity disgusting, a Republican lawmaker seeks to ban them and imprison librarians who don’t comply.

Preparing for World Cup, Qatar Cracks Down on LGBT Coverage

FIFA continues to defend its choice to host the World Cup in Qatar, which follows antigay Sharia Law.