Cumberland City Council ban same sex parenting book from library

[Bretrick]

At Cumberland City Council in the western suburbs of Sydney, one man – Councillor Steve Christou – persuaded the council to ban books about same sex parenting from the council’s libraries.
The change was short-lived. People fought back. More than 40,000 signed a petition to lift the ban.
Only two weeks later, the Council reversed its decision, voting decisively 13 - 2 following impassioned pleas by residents, and with many people protesting on the streets.

As with many/most instances like these it all stems from one person initiating action. That person was Steve Christou - who stated ;

"it was inappropriate in the "very religious" "very family-orientated community, Our kids shouldn't be sexualised, it's that simple, what would a two-, three-, four-year-old know about that? A parent is a parent, why do we have to ingrain that?" he said.
"This community is a very religious community, a very family-orientated community."

News for you Mr Christou, you are living in Australia, a secular country, not controlled or dominated by religious issues.
No one should be able to impose their own moral beliefs on the majority.

The book in question has been checked out of the library once in the 4 years it has been on the shelf.

What's in the same-sex parenting book banned by Western Sydney councillors

The curious case of the Sydney council book ban and what happens when free speech isn't applied equally
Ban overturned
Cumberland Council’s book ban has been overturned, but what is really happening in Australian libraries?

 

[fuzzybuddy]

Mr. Christou fears there will be a huge line of 4 year olds signing up for a book on 'same sex' parenting. Plus the ban was because the area was "very religious". I guess the ban wouldn't apply to the First People's areas, where "they" live, whoever "they" are.
The ban says more about the sexual mind of the banner than the people in the book.

 

[Born_To_Lose]

I am a First Amendment activist. That should tell you what side I’m on. Banning books, especially with the way the world has and will continue to change, I would think we need to make an attempt at giving people of all ages the information they may be seeking.

Hiding truthful information is not good governance.

 

[VaughanJB]

Who is forcing young kids to join a library? And who is forcing them to take out a book on same sex parenting?

When I was a kid it was all Enid Blyton and Superman. How things change.

 

[Remy]

For some kids, they may not have reading material if not for a library. Perhaps the parents can't afford books.

Then meanwhile a kid is being abused in a heterosexual two parent household. But they don't know (or care) about that.

 

[January]

Height of hypocrisy - Christou is a western Sydney councillor who has railed against the "dictatorial communist regime" of the federal government's eSafety Commissioner, saying that "Australians do not need the government to dictate to them what they can or cannot watch and post on the internet".

But then thinks it is ok for local government to dictate what books others can access from libraries.

That is a huge backlash- 40, 000 people, signing a petition on a local library - good to see.

 

[Jackie23]

Hypocrites...worldwide!

 

[Jules]

The book in question has been checked out of the library once in the 4 years it has been on the shelf.

Bet there’s a waiting list to check it out now.

 

[gruntlabor]

That is our truth now.
But my 1959 Encyclopedia Britannica called homosexuality 'depraved'. That was our truth then.
Things change, and change again. Life is a river of change, but there is nothing new under the sun.

 

[papa tiger]

I suppose the book could be helpful for even the average parents. I guess with all the terrible stuff going on in the world, right under our noses, the book about raising children be who ever is responsible has little harm in it? Enraged grown ups out in the street demonstrating and breaking stuff is something else considering conduct?

 

[Nathan]

The Taliban mentality has been adopted by the religious & political movement that seeks to control minds and bodies in the name of "freedom".

 

[papa tiger]

Sometimes when I hear the speakers of the religion, be it a D.J on a country station or a tv minister, I change the Chanel thinking I am listening to a Narcissistic gaslighter.

The Book of Mathew comes to mind somewhere it all of it.

 

[January]

Enraged grown ups out in the street demonstrating and breaking stuff is something else considering conduct?

Who was breaking stuff?

Grown ups demonstrating is fine - we live in a democracy, people can protest things.

 

[VaughanJB]

Sometimes when I hear the speakers of the religion, be it a D.J on a country station or a tv minister\

I've stated before, I absolutely love listening/watching TV ministries. They're hugely entertaining. You sit there wondering how anyone could possibly follow what is being said. It gets increasingly outlandish. They're all mad as a sack of rats.

 

[Debrah N.]

I suppose the book could be helpful for even the average parents. I guess with all the terrible stuff going on in the world, right under our noses, the book about raising children be who ever is responsible has little harm in it? Enraged grown ups out in the street demonstrating and breaking stuff is something else considering conduct?

Or maybe it's a book called something like 'Johnny Has Two Mammas' or along those lines. Something that would help kids in that kind of home, realize that they aren't the only ones and other kids have different families too.

 

[davey]

Here is an interesting read about homosexuality on this planet if you have the time and interest - seems it's been around for eons??


planetry homosexuality

 

[Warrigal]

Or maybe it's a book called something like 'Johnny Has Two Mammas' or along those lines. Something that would help kids in that kind of home, realize that they aren't the only ones and other kids have different families too.

Spot on, @Debrah N.

Following a petition that collected over 40,000 signatures, another meeting of the Cumberland City Council revisited the previous ban and overturned it.

At Cumberland City Council in the western suburbs of Sydney, one man — Councillor Steve Christou — persuaded the council to ban books about same-sex parenting from the council's libraries.

The change was short-lived. People fought back. More than 40,000 signed a petition to lift the ban.

Only two weeks later, the council reversed its decision, voting decisively (13-2), following impassioned pleas by residents, and with many people protesting on the streets.

The same-sex parenting book bans are just the latest chapter in Australia's long history of library censorship

 

[Debrah N.]

Spot on, @Debrah N.

Following a petition that collected over 40,000 signatures, another meeting of the Cumberland City Council revisited the previous ban and overturned it.



The same-sex parenting book bans are just the latest chapter in Australia's long history of library censorship

Book bans seem to be a bit of an issue in the USA too from what I've seen on various Youtube videos on the goings on that country, politically speaking. I'm not sure if it's as much a thing in Canada though. We don't seem to have as many YouTubers taking an interest in Canada's political scene.

 

[davey]

what we are watching all around us usually slowly and painfully is an ever changing world - and it will continue to do so long after we are dead and gone for the worst of the better?

 

[papa tiger]

You know the vast majority are looking for gratuities and smile. $$$$ ... ... No $$$$$$ and they will scream for holy Murders! ....
The smaller the congregation's donations $$ the louder the screaming.

 

[davey]

this also suggests that the morality police are not ourselves but others who see themselves above us perhaps and attempting to defend the moral fibres of our entire society?