The amendment was proposed by City Councilman Steve Crist. (Representative photo)
Sydney City Council has voted to ban same-sex parenting books from local libraries, raising concerns about discrimination and censorship.according to guardian, Cumberland City Council in Sydney’s west voted on new plans for eight libraries at a meeting last week. The amendment, proposed by former mayor and current City Council member Steve Crist, proposed that the City Council take immediate steps to remove books and materials about same-sex parenting from library services. He cited public complaints about the book in order to request its removal.
During the meeting, Mr. Crist displayed a book with the following title: “Same-sex parents” It was written by Holly Duhigg and claimed to have caused problems for parents because it was placed in the children’s section of the library. “We’re going to make it clear tonight that these kinds of books, books aimed at same-sex parents, will not be in the hands of our children,” he said. guardian.
“Our children should not be treated as sexual objects. This is a very religious community, a very family-oriented community. We don’t want these problems to be instilled in the library. This is not Marrickville or New Town, this is Cumberland City Council,” Mr Crist continued.
The former mayor added that young children should not be “exposed” to same-sex content, saying the amendments were “for the protection and safety of children” and reiterated that “children should be kept at arm’s length.”
The city council’s decision to ban same-sex parenting books has sparked a debate about the representation of diverse families in library collections. The New South Wales Government warned the move could breach the state’s anti-discrimination laws. Cumberland Mayor Lisa Lake said she was “appalled” and “saddened” by the move. She said that the book’s content, like the rest of the series, is “age-appropriate” and does not contain any sexual content.
“I think this is a serious censorship issue,” she said. independent person. “It’s important that the information is available to anyone who wants to see it,” she added.
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Auburn MP Linda Volz called on NSW Arts Minister John Graham to consider the issue. “I am very concerned about Cumberland City Council’s decision and believe it potentially risks breaching library funding guidelines and may also breach anti-discrimination laws.” she stated. Guardian.
“The overwhelming majority of people in Auburn will tell you that everyone is welcome and we pride ourselves on being a peaceful and friendly community,” she added.
Separately, John Graham gave a talk on the issue, emphasizing that it should be up to the reader to decide which books to choose from the shelves. “It’s a very bad sign when a civilization turns into book-burning or banned books. The same applies to local councils,” he said.
“We are considering how this decision will impact the council, which continues to receive funding for libraries from the NSW Government,” he added.
Meanwhile, Crist clarified that the move was not targeted at the LGBTQ+ community, but at any book that promotes “sexualization.”
