New threat from Australian council banning book on same-sex parents: ‘Bad sign’

The New South Wales state government is threatening to cut funding from a Sydney city council after it passed a controversial ban on single-sex books in libraries. Councillors from Cumberland City Council in western Sydney voted in favour of the controversial motion, which sparked a wave of concerned backlash.

The motion was introduced last week by former mayor Steve Christou, who claims he has received complaints from “desperate parents” about the same-sex books on the shelves of eight local libraries. Six councillors, including himself, supported the ban, while five opposed it.

The move has since drawn strong reactions from some quarters, including from John Graham, the state’s arts minister, who said on Tuesday the government would examine whether to withdraw funding from the council responsible. The state government warned that the vote may breach New South Wales’ anti-discrimination law.

“We are considering the consequences this decision could have for the council, which continues to receive library funding from the New South Wales government,” he said. “When civilisations start burning or banning books, that is a very bad sign. That goes for local councils too.”

“It is the reader’s decision which book he takes off the shelf. It should not be the job of local councils to make that decision for him or to exercise censorship.”

City council defends decision to ban same-sex books

Christou said on Wednesday morning that he did not believe cutting off funding was the right decision in response to the government’s threat. While he acknowledged that it was a “sensitive issue”, he defended his stance.

“If the government wants to defund one of the most socially disadvantaged communities in NSW because its democratically elected council stands up for the values ​​that they believe represent their local community, then they should be ashamed of themselves and I urge them not to do that,” he told Today presenter Karl Stefanovic.

“The state government should focus more on taking care of its citizens and helping them pay their mortgages, rents and bills and put food on the table so their children can eat.”

Christou said it was about listening to the community, which includes the suburbs of Auburn, Merrylands and Granville. “We have received complaints time and time again from residents about these types of books and similar issues invading our libraries,” he said on a broadcast this morning.

“You have to understand that in Cumberland City Council, about 60 percent of the population is foreign born and has deep conservative values, family values ​​and religious values, whether they are Christian, Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim or Hindu.”

The book at the centre of the ban on “difficult realities”

The book that sparked the decision was titled “Focus on: Same-Sex Parenting.” It is part of a series designed to educate children about “difficult realities” and “healthy ways for children to process and understand them.” Five copies have been available in council libraries since 2019.

The “immediate” decision to ban same-sex material from libraries has prompted one local resident to start a petition to “reverse” the Cumberland City Council’s decision, gathering over 480 signatures in one day.

Michael, who launched the petition on Tuesday, said the move “undermines democratic values ​​and denies diverse families representation in society” and stated that “same-sex parents exist in society”.

“By banning books for and about same-sex families, the Council is trivialising their existence and sending a clear message,” he argued. “This decision does not reflect the Australian people or the Australian spirit. Banning these books denies these families their representation and does not reflect our diverse society.”

Mayor “sad” about “terrible” decision

Cumberland City Mayor Lisa Lake was one of the councillors who voted no. She told ABC Radio on Wednesday that she strongly disagreed with the decision. “It’s an appalling decision and I’m really deeply saddened by it,” she said.

Lake said the state government is currently investing $700,000 a year in the libraries, the Daily Telegraph reported. She too has called on the state government to reconsider its plans.

“I would ask the minister to raise his concerns with us directly. This might actually encourage the councillors who supported this ban to reconsider their response,” she said.

Yahoo News Australia has contacted Cumberland City Council for comment.

In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, Greens MP and Western Sydney spokesperson Cate Faehrmann agreed that the ban was “incredibly concerning”.

“The community deserves political representatives who want to promote inclusion and tolerance, not hatred and division,” she said. “You only have to think of some of the horrific events of the last few weeks to see what happens when we don’t do that.”

She agreed that Western Sydney was “known for its diverse and tolerant communities” and said the decision was likely to have “very damaging impacts on families, including children”.

“I understand the Government is considering reviewing Cumberland City Council’s library funding, which is a good thing,” she added. “This divisive and dangerous decision by the Council must have consequences and the Government must send a clear message that no other Council should go down this path.”

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