Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, despite its critical acclaim and cultural relevance, has faced multiple bans across the U.S. The story’s themes of oppression, religious extremism, and gender control ironically mirror the very censorship it warns against.
Here’s why officials banned it and what the series will do next.
Why The Handmaid’s Tale book was banned
The Handmaid’s Tale follows Offred, a woman stripped of her identity and forced into reproductive servitude in the theocratic Republic of Gilead. The novel critiques authoritarianism, feminism, and religious control. Its themes have made it a frequent target of book bans.
Since its release, schools and libraries across the U.S. have banned or challenged the book. Reasons include profanity, sexual content, alleged anti-Christian themes, and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters. In 2022, several states, including Texas, removed the book after lawmakers restricted materials on race, gender, or sexuality.
In 2025, Idaho enacted HB 710, a law designed to limit minors’ access to materials classified as “harmful to minors.” The legislation led to the removal of several books from school and public library shelves, including The Handmaid’s Tale.
This sparked national debate over censorship, free speech, and educational access. In response, Margaret Atwood collaborated with Penguin Random House to produce a fireproof, “unburnable” edition of the novel as a symbolic stand against book bans.
Is The Handmaid’s Tale series banned and canceled?
While the book has faced censorship, The Handmaid’s Tale series is not banned or canceled and remains widely available on Hulu. The TV series expands on the novel’s themes, incorporating LGBTQ+ representation and racial injustice—elements that have also sparked backlash. However, streaming platforms have not faced the same restrictions as schools and libraries.
The show’s sixth and final season premiered in April 2025, with its themes of resistance feeling more urgent than ever. Unlike the novel’s ambiguous ending, fans hope to see a definitive resolution for protagonist June Osborne.
