We Are Our Stories

PA Reads YA is disgusted by the continued education legislation that is harming LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC teens around the country. These unconstitutional laws, coupled with the extreme rise in book bans and challenges of YA books written both for and about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC teens, are a direct threat to teens.

As teens, we wondered what we could do to support our peers around the country. We decided to call on the network of creators who make work for teens to support us in setting up an auction to raise funds for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU defends the rights of teens like us every day by fighting classroom censorship, working for racial justice, protecting LGBTQIA+ rights, and more.

Our goal is to raise $1,500 through this auction.

UPDATE #1: We reached our goal of $1,500 on Monday, May 16 - thank you! We decided to adjust to a stretch goal of $3,000. Let's see if we can double things by the end of the week. We're grateful for your help!

UPDATE #2: We doubled our goal and reached $3,000 in the morning on Wednesday, May 18, so we're going to see if we can reach $4,500 by the end of the week. Thank you for your generosity!

PA Reads YA is an organization led by teens and for teens that creates teen-centered literary projects and opportunities across Pennsylvania. We are committed to creating an environment where diverse teen voices and stories are heard.