At Austin Bat Cave, we are passionate about fostering a community that thrives on the joy of storytelling. In the past several years, however, we have witnessed an alarming wave of attempts to ban books and suppress diverse voices across our state. We’re asking you to support ABC so we can defend freedom of expression.

Last year, Texas led the nation in book bans and challenges–and the most current state law making its way through the courts would further restrict the art and literature young people can freely encounter. We know that book bans overwhelmingly target art by, for, and about marginalized communities. When Black, Latino, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented youth see themselves in art and writing, they are also more likely to see themselves as artists and writers. It is vital for their confidence and self-value.

Our Bat Mobile offers hundreds of students in Del Valle and across central Texas access to reading and writing materials every year. Recently, in Scalawag magazine, ABC’s Programs Director Leticia Urieta wrote about her approach to the bus:

“For the past three years, I've stocked the bus with high-quality literature in English and Spanish (and other languages as we can get them). Exciting books of all genres are carefully organized along the walls and desk: manga, graphic novels, and popular YA series with futuristic fantasies and queer main characters."

ABC is proud to distribute these books–and we need your help to keep going.

ABC’s Intergenerational Mentorship program ensures at-risk LGBTQ+ youth can develop resilience and a sense of community through pen-pal mentorships with senior citizens. Many young people in this program find it difficult to envision a life as a happy adult, and these mentorships show a future they didn’t even know was possible. Our school programs, the bedrock of ABC’s work, provide under-resourced youth throughout greater Austin opportunities to sharpen creative writing skills–from poetry to food memoir to ghost stories.

When you support Austin Bat Cave, you are providing a haven for young readers and storytellers–to shape their ideas, cultivate a creative community, and spark change beyond the page. We hope you can help our students as they create a safe harbor for speech and expression.