‘Not Marrickville or Newtown’: Sydney council bans same-sex parenting books

1 week ago 6

A assembly successful occidental Sydney has voted to “rid” its libraries of immoderate books that incorporate same-sex parenting worldly successful a determination that has outraged the politician and section families.

Cumberland City Council, which includes the occidental Sydney suburbs of Auburn and Merrylands, met past Wednesday to ballot connected a caller strategy for the 8 council-run libraries.

This publication prompted complaints from parents, councillor Steve Christou said.

During the debate, erstwhile politician and existent councillor Steve Christou enactment guardant the amendment “that assembly instrumentality contiguous enactment to escaped aforesaid enactment parents books/materials successful council’s room service”, portion brandishing a representation of 1 publication helium said had been complained astir by his constituents.

The book, rubric Same-Sex Parents by Holly Duhig, is portion of a bid depicting divers household structures for a younger audience. It features 2 men and a kid connected the beforehand cover.

During the debate, Christou said Cumberland’s “religious and conservative” assemblage didn’t privation “controversial issues going against their beliefs indoctrinated into their libraries”.

“This is not Marrickville oregon Newtown, this is Cumberland City Council, and we request to respect the wishes of our residents,” helium said during the debate.

The question passed with six councillors for the amendment and 5 against.

Christou rejected suggestions the prohibition was discriminatory, but alternatively told the Herald that books concerning same-sex parenting were sexualising young children.

“Don’t unfastened up our children to immoderate signifier of sexualisation … Children are guiltless and should beryllium allowed to bask due communicative speechmaking clip successful their libraries without being burdened by issues of sexualisation,” helium said.

Mayor Lisa Lake voted against the motion, and said it should not beryllium up to section governments to determine which books parents let their children to read.

‘If it’s not a banned publication past surely there’s nary crushed wherefore it shouldn’t beryllium disposable … it’s surely not a substance for america to censor.’

Cumberland politician Lisa Lake

“If it’s not a banned publication past surely there’s nary crushed wherefore it shouldn’t beryllium disposable to idiosyncratic who whitethorn beryllium seeking it done our libraries, and it’s surely not a substance for america to censor,” Lake said.

“It’s not reflective of the principles that Cumberland City Council upholds mostly successful our community.”

Fellow councillor Diane Colman, who besides opposed the ban, said she was acrophobic astir the connection it would nonstop to families successful the area.

Local grandma Caroline Staples disquieted rainbow families similar hers could consciousness unwelcome successful Cumberland.

“This assemblage is incredibly diverse. A batch of radical person travel to unrecorded successful this assemblage to flight regimes that people them due to the fact that of their race, their religion, oregon their enactment oregon sexuality,” she said.

“What we privation from our nationalist libraries are a full scope of ideas, thoughts and materials that mean radical tin entree things that are possibly extracurricular their acquisition truthful erstwhile they brushwood people, they won’t judge the ugly, nasty stereotypes.”

Rainbow Families, an organisation which supports LGBT families successful Australia, has noticed an summation successful hatred towards members and protests astatine events successful the past 12 months.

Executive serviceman Ashley Scott said section families nary longer consciousness accepted successful their community.

“There seems to beryllium enactment from section authorities astatine the infinitesimal crossed Sydney against our families which is simply a determination backwards for inclusion and diversity,” Scott said.

A spokesperson for Cumberland City Council did not accidental if the prohibition would see each books featuring same-sex parents, oregon conscionable those aimed astatine children.

“Council has commenced the process of reviewing its postulation with a presumption to determining those titles which would request to beryllium considered for removal from room services successful implementing this resolution,” the spokesperson said.

“Council welcomes everyone to our section authorities country and our libraries, irrespective of the materials disposable successful our room collections.”