Having experienced numerous challenges against his books by censors, particularly Geography Club (which was banned for a period of time in his home state of Washington), Hartinger is also a vocal proponent of free speech and an anti-censorship crusader. He is one of the founders of AS IF! Authors Supporting Intellectual Freedom, a group of Young Adult book authors who fight censorship and disseminate information about current challenges.

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He sums up his attitude toward censorship well with this statement: "What books should a library have? Well, the right question to ask, of course, is not, Will anyone in my community be offended by this book? Instead, it's, Will anyone in my community be served by the presence of this book?"

In addition to writing and protesting, Hartinger also teaches creative writing for children and young adults in the masters program at Vermont College in Montpelier, Vermont. At one time, he also taught creative writing at the Tacoma School of the Arts.

Hartinger currently lives near Seattle with his partner, Michael Jensen, who is also a novelist. Together, they host a tongue-in-cheek gay entertainment video blog called Two Gay Guys. They both contribute regularly to the AfterElton.com website, for which Jensen is the editor.

One of the major differences between Hartinger's writing and that of many other authors who focus on the glbtq market is that he always includes some elements of humor. As he said in a June 2003 interview, "Yes, there are a lot of serious issues involving gay youth, and yes, the teenage years can be a time of depression and angst. But it ain't all that bad! Adult writers always seem to remember the emotional turmoil of the teen years, but they don't remember the humor and the fun, which are just as important."

The humor Hartinger interjects in his novels makes them very readable for both glbtq teens and their straight counterparts, especially reluctant readers. His humor aids in getting his messages across in an entertaining and memorable fashion.

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