The U.S. Department of Education recently announced it was creating a position to combat book bans around the country.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is seeking to address book bans as part of the Biden administration’s larger agenda to support the LGBTQI+ community. They contend that book bans disproportionally target LGBTQI+ students.

“Across the country, our nation faces a spike in book bans – efforts that disproportionately strip books about LGBTQI+ communities, communities of color, and other communities off of library and classroom shelves. In fact, 2022 saw the highest number of book bans in 20 years,” said The White House in a statement. “Book banning erodes our democracy, removes vital resources for student learning, and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQI+ people and other communities face.”

Classroom material and instruction have been under a microscope. Conservatives nationwide have attempted to position themselves as advocates for parents who are concerned about the way race, gender, and sexuality are discussed in the classroom. It was a popular topic during the last election cycle and many 2024 hopefuls are hoping it remains so during the next election cycle.