Cumberland City Council overturns ban on same-sex parenting books in libraries

Cumberland City Council in Western Sydney has voted to overturn its recent motion to ban same-sex parenting books from its libraries, reports the ABC.

According to the ABC, the motion passed 12 votes to 2 after over four hours of debate, while several members of the gallery were ejected for heckling, and police and protesters gathered outside.

The NSW state government had threatened to pull funding from the impacted libraries following the vote to ban same-sex parenting books, with Arts Minister John Graham saying that the government was ‘examining the consequences this decision may have for the council continuing to receive library funding from the NSW government’. In a letter to council, Graham said the book ban contravened freedom of access to information guidelines under the Library Act 1939.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) said in a statement it was ‘appalled by the action of some members of Cumberland City Council who voted last week to ban books about same-sex parenting in their libraries’, and endorsed an Equality Australia petition from local resident Caroline Staples calling on councillors to reverse the motion. ALIA also wrote to the Cumberland City Council outlining its legal concerns about the council’s actions. Equality Australia reported that the petition garnered over 50,000 signatures.

Category: Local news