In anticipation of the 2025 American Library Association (ALA) Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Oni Press has announced its latest Pre-Order Exclusive Merch Collection, celebrating the best-selling graphic novel Gender Queer and other remarkable work from its cartoonist, Maia Kobabe. This Oni initiative is part of the publisher’s ongoing FIGHT CENSORSHIP, READ COMICS initiative. A portion of this Exclusive Merch Collection’s proceeds will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) and the Florida Freedom to Read Project (FFTRP).
Kobabe’s graphic memoir, Gender Queer, is a heartfelt and deeply personal account of self-identity that was first released in 2019 and has since garnered widespread critical acclaim, despite continued baseless (in my opinion) attacks on the content of the work. However, Oni has stood by Kobabe’s Stonewall Book Award-winning graphic novel, fighting and winning censorship attempts against the seminal piece of non-fiction in court.
Notably, Gender Queer was at the center of a Virginia obscenity lawsuit, a case successfully defended by the CBLDF, which concluded that the attempts to censor the work were unconstitutional in 2022. Following this, The Los Angeles Times labeled it as “the most banned book in American schools,” and in 2025, the American Library Association ranked it as the second most challenged title in libraries across the country.
“The freedom to read, the freedom to access information, and the freedom to learn are some of the most vital rights in this country,” said Kobabe, who as stated above knows a thing or two about book bans. “Removing books from schools and public libraries cuts off people’s access to knowledge about the wider world and about their own lives within it. This is especially true when the books being removed are about minority identities, or topics less commonly portrayed in popular culture. A book that might seem pointless to one reader might be life-saving to another. Removing a book because its themes offend one reader is censorship, and must be combated at every turn. Please stand up for the freedom to read and the freedom to write!”
Oni President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson added, “For nearly a century, comics as an art form have played a critical role in championing the all-American ideals of free speech, equality, and anti-authoritarianism. Although Maia’s work is one of the first and prominent examples of impactful and important work to be singled out by pro-censorship forces, we can guarantee that it will not be the last. It is the responsibility of creative institutions like Oni Press and our fellow publishers to protect the free expression of cartoonists and our medium as a whole, and we are proud to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Florida Freedom to Read Project with our ongoing ‘Fight Censorship, Read Comics’ initiatives.”
Both Kobabe and Oni are thrilled to stand alongside the CBLDF and FFTRP in the ongoing fight for free speech in the comics world. This month, Kobabe will join Oni as a Special Guest at the ALA Conference, taking place from June 26 to June 30, 2025.
FIGHT CENSORSHIP, READ COMICS exclusive merch, featuring Gender Queer
Oni’s new collection features over 15 exclusive items, including a never-before-seen t-shirt design by Kobabe, offered in three unique colorways curated by the artist and a range of sizes to fit ALL bodies (from XS to XXXL), each of which is hand silkscreened in the USA on ultra-soft Comfort Colors shirts.
Additionally, the FIGHT CENSORSHIP, READ COMICS Pre-Order Exclusive Merch Collection includes Gender Queer patches, enamel pins, and keychains, as well as limited-edition, signed and numbered copies of the Gender Queer: Deluxe Edition hardcover.
Plus, don’t miss out on Oni’s high-quality, 18×24” giclee prints showcasing Kobabe’s inspiring “Fight Censorship, Read Comics” artwork, available in both signed and unsigned varieties.
The collection is available exclusively online at OniPress.com. Fans, readers, and anyone who supports the right to read can place pre-orders beginning today, June 17, 2025, through Friday, August 20, 2025, with fulfillment to begin in September.
Oni will also be making select, advance editions for some items available for early sale at San Diego Comic-Con in July.
