‘Hate is not a family value’: protesters clash as Sydney council considers rescinding same-sex parenting book ban

Comments

• vividspecter@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Looks like the ban has been reversed: www.instagram.com/p/C6_VPtDPGUa/?utm_source=ig_we…

  Cumberland Council has voted 12:2 to reverse the ban on books featuring same-sex parents at tonight’s council meeting.

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• melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Parenting books are moral sin? And in a linked article - sexualised???

  I’d argue that same sex parents adopting or fostering kids that would otherwise have fewer options is a net social positive and actually a pretty moral thing to do. (Especially if they’re taking the time and care to read parenting books.) Almost like a thing that a religion of compassion would approve of.

  Homophobic protests and book bannings are a different kind of movement. Even if the ban was reversed these trends are scary to see.

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  • alansuspect@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    It wasn’t even a parenting book, it was a kids book helping them to understand about same sex parents. Apparently at the meeting some people said maybe it should be moved to the adults section until it was pointed out it is for kids.

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    • melbaboutown@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Oh ok. It’s still very weird. I would have thought that explaining same sex parents to children might be to prevent bullying or teasing of a classmate who has them. I can’t see anything sexualised about it.

      It really seems like there’s a homophobic/transphobic push for censorship by religious groups spearheaded by myths that LGBTIA+ are ‘groomers’.

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• autotldr@lemmings.world [bot] ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  This is the best summary I could come up with:

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  A suburban Sydney council chambers has become the battleground for two warring groups after a decision to ban books featuring same-sex parenting.

  Two groups of about 100 each gathered outside the Cumberland city council building in Merrylands on Wednesday night, one calling for the book to be returned to library shelves and the other arguing its content amounted to a moral sin.

  Protesters from warring sides yelled over the top of one other for hours with young families, couples and students turning up with placards and flags in hand.

  The Pride in Protest spokesperson Wei Thai-Haynes said books that depicted rainbow families, or drag performers reading stories, were “a normal part of life and not ‘indoctrination’ or ‘sexualising children’”.

  “For rainbow families living in the Cumberland council area, this is a hurtful and divisive act which impacts them and their children,” she told reporters last week.

  The NSW arts minister, John Graham, said banning books was a bad sign for civilisations, adding local councillors should not engage in censorship.

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  The original article contains 515 words, the summary contains 169 words. Saved 67%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

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