Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan was published in 2013. It was awarded the Stonewall Book Award (2014).
BANNED in Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Escambia, Hernando, Hillsborough, Marion, Okaloosa, Polk, Seminole, St. Lucie, and Walton County schools
Escambia County English teacher Vicki Baggett submitted a list of more than 100 books she wanted removed from school libraries. Among them was Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan.
Based on true events, Two Boys Kissing follows teenagers Harry and Craig as they attempt to break the world record for the longest kiss. Their story branches into other stories that feature gay characters, all narrated by a chorus of men who died during the AIDS epidemic.
Baggett’s objections helped trigger a wave of book bans in Escambia County in 2022. Those removals became the basis for PEN America v. Escambia County School Board, filed in May 2023. The lawsuit argues that the District violated the First Amendment by removing books based on ideology, particularly those with racial and LGBTQ themes.
Baggett’s August 24, 2022, objection to Two Boys Kissing listed “LGBTQ push/indoctrination; bestiality; suicide; victimization” as reasons for removal. Yet during her July 2024 deposition, she could not recall the book’s plot or any instance of “bestiality” when questioned under oath.
Author David Levithan called Baggett’s claims against his novel “ludicrous.” He and four other authors are plaintiffs in the PEN America lawsuit.
Baggett’s deposition may have contributed to the Escambia County School Board’s October 2024 decision to return 24 books to school shelves amid the ongoing lawsuit. Two Boys Kissing was among the books returned.
Less than a year later, on July 15, 2025, the Board reversed course. In a unanimous vote, Board members adopted a policy allowing the removal of any book already removed by another Florida school district, without requiring their own review. The decision led to the removal of more than 400 books, including Two Boys Kissing.