A council in Sydney has voted to ban same-sex parenting books from its public libraries, a move that the New South Wales government warns could breach the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act. At a meeting last week, Cumberland city council in western Sydney approved an amendment to its library strategy that would “rid” same-sex parenting books from its eight council-run libraries.
The amendment, proposed by councillor and former mayor Steve Christou, was approved by a vote of six to five, with four councillors absent. Christou argued that these books, such as *Same-Sex Parents* by Holly Duhig, shouldn’t be available to children in the library, claiming that they “sexualize” children and conflict with the community’s religious and family-oriented values.
Christou defended the motion by saying it wasn’t targeting the LGBTQ+ community, but books that promoted “sexualisation.” However, when asked what content in the book was sexualized, he simply stated that parents had complained about the book’s presence on library shelves. He maintained that his amendment was for the protection of children in his community, which has a large proportion of religious and immigrant families.
The move has drawn strong criticism from various quarters. The New South Wales Arts Minister, John Graham, said that banning or censoring books is a worrying sign, comparing it to the behavior of totalitarian regimes. He warned that the council’s decision could jeopardize funding for the library and might breach the Anti-Discrimination Act.
Mayor Lisa Lake, who opposed the motion, expressed dismay at the decision, emphasizing that public libraries should be places of inclusion and diversity. Other opponents of the ban, like Councillor Diane Colman, criticized the council for attempting to police accessibility to books, arguing that public libraries are meant to offer everyone equal access to information.
Equality Australia, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, said that banning books that represent same-sex families was exclusionary and harmful. They, along with Rainbow Families, another LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, are seeking legal recourse to reverse the ban. Rainbow Families reported increasing hate speech and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in the past year, making this ban especially concerning.
Despite the council’s decision, many remain hopeful that legal and public pressure will lead to a reversal of the ban, reaffirming the principle that libraries should be inclusive spaces for all members of the community.
