The mayor of a neighboring municipality has called the Cumberland City Council’s decision to ban books about same-sex parenting “pathetic”.
The council, which is located in Western Sydney, could be in breach of anti-discrimination laws as a result of its vote.
Steve Christou, a former mayor of Cumberland, proposed the motion, which he claimed was prompted by parents who were distressed after reading the book “Same-Sex Parents,” which was written by Holly Duhig.
He told Channel 9 that the book was sexualized and that the ban was aimed at “letting kids be kids.”
According to Christou, about 60 percent of the city’s population was born overseas. He noted that regardless of their religious affiliation, they have conservative values. He also said that the council had received numerous complaints about the books.
The residents of Cumberland do not want to see sexualized books being made available in their libraries. They also don’t want children to be exposed to such content. Christou made the controversial argument during the council’s debate, saying that the local government area was not Newtown or Marrickville.
The mayor of another local government area criticized the council’s decision and called it a pathetic attempt to prevent libraries from being inclusive. He noted that if Steve Christou had been allowed to make his own decisions regarding what books children should borrow, he would have no choice but to ban comic books.
The NSW government has stated that the council’s decision could be in breach of the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act, and it has threatened to withdraw funding from the libraries that are affected by the ban. Auburn MP Linda Voltz has reportedly asked John Graham to look into the matter.
Christou criticized the government for threatening to withdraw funding from the council, which he said stood up for the values of the community. He also noted that he would ban the ceremonies that are associated with the gay community in Western Sydney.
In response, he proposed banning the programs that involve drag story time. The NSW Health Minister, Ryan Park, called the proposal by Christou sad. He noted that if the council would start to censor books, then the government would have to examine the funds that it receives.
I believe that it is inappropriate for a local authority to restrict the reading materials of its residents or ratepayers.