Voices: Despite an increase in book bans, romantic stories will thrive in Utah

Note to readers • This is part of a series of forward-looking predictions for 2026. Read more.

Book bans will continue to happen until we put a stop to them. As romance authors and co-presidents of the League of Utah Writers Romance Chapter, we have witnessed romantic stories growing despite opposition. But we must not sit idly by while books are banned. Every voice must be heard over the roar of censorship.

Book bans have been around as long as books have existed. There will always be books that some people disagree with. In Utah, we’re seeing it play out in our schools.

Books are often banned under the guise of protecting children from predators, but children face the realities of dangerous situations every day. Students are aware of potential school shootings, kidnappings and domestic violence. They should not be discouraged from seeing themselves in characters or learning ways to live through difficult situations in stories.

According to a 2024 Gallup Poll, 9.3% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQIA+. Estimates for Salt Lake City adults averages 4.7%. Banning a book because it features gay characters is unhelpful and destructive. Gay people are a fact of life, and children are going to encounter them. Hiding this fact only creates ignorance. The same can be said for authors and characters of color sharing stories featuring racial and Indigenous experiences.

A Salt Lake City Public Library librarian informed us that, while the library system has been acquiring LGBTQIA+ materials for at least 40 years, there has been a change — particularly in recent years — as the conversation has merged from serious autobiographical and AIDS-based research to more humorous and “fluffy” romance stories. This expansion has come because of an increase in the “out” population with a voice to make such requests.

In romantic literature, representation is increasing. Per that same Salt Lake City librarian, between 5% and 10% of their books feature LGBTQIA+ characters, and about 10% of those have romance as their main plot. That number jumps to approximately 25% and up for BIPOC characters, especially if they are Hispanic/Latino. We believe those numbers will continue increasing as more publishers seek representative literature.

The more books are banned, the more romance books there are. Like a hydra, for every book banned, two more show up in its place. It’s as though book bans have actually helped legitimize romance.

As such, we’re also seeing romance become less stigmatized as a genre. Romance authors are being invited to conventions such as Salt Lake’s FanX to share their experience with new authors. Romance-specific book conferences have increased across the country. Despite not always being taken seriously, romance is a billion-dollar industry and has been the highest grossing fiction genre for decades.

Why? Because romance hits most of the emotional pressure points, particularly our oxytocin, “the hormone that fosters bonding and trust–crafting characters who thoughtfully navigate emotional challenges, offering readers valuable insights into emotional intelligence and relationship dynamics,” according to author Leslie J. Wyatt.

The Young Adult literature boom has helped destigmatize the romance genre by creating characters who navigate a scary world at a scary time.

We’ve also seen increased popularity in romance-specific bookstores, jumping from 92 to 180 physical locations worldwide and 302 total worldwide when you account for pop-up and online shops. In Utah, Salt Lake City’s Lovebound Library and Ogden’s The Romantics Archive not only sell romance, but celebrate it, hosting author and community events to help the genre thrive.

If these bookstores can survive on romance alone — then romance isn’t in trouble. Stories will never be in trouble, no matter how loud the silencing screams become. Bookstores happily carry banned books, often making displays out of them as a badge of honor.

As readers, you can also help relieve the bans by supporting authors. Reviews can mean everything to writers like us. It costs nothing to tell others how much you love a book, story, character or writing style, but it means everything to the author and the potential future audience.

All stories center around relationships, not just romantic ones. Romance is not simply the tingle of longing, the fluffy and exciting first kiss, a steamy night of erotic hedonism, though those are fun, too.

Stories are a connection, the relationships, not just romantic, between sentient souls full of emotion. They are representative of who we are, and they play out our deepest feelings; our loudest joys, our strongest fears, our quiet hopes, our silent yearnings. They give space to expand our experience even when we’re stuck on a bus heading toward the drudgery of our 9-5.

People want that connection, and writers will continue to give it to them.

Melissa Schack holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Utah and a Master’s degree in library and information science from San Jose State University. She is the co-president of the League of Utah Writers Romance Chapter, and she has published five historical romance and fantasy books under the name Mae Thorn.

Keyra Kristoffersen Allred holds a B.A. in English from Utah Valley University, because there was honestly little choice once they finally took their writing more seriously. While genres vary, humor and romance are always at the center of their writing, plus an animal or two. As co-president of the Romance Chapter for the League of Utah Writers, Keyra has won awards for short stories published in anthologies and seeks always to continue the growth of writers and artists everywhere.

The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We rely on your insight to do this. Find out how to share your opinion here, and email us at voices@sltrib.com.