Cumberland city councillors have voted to overturn the controversial same-sex book ban which passed on May 1. That’s one point for the real western Sydneysiders and zero points for everyone’s least favourite local council gremlin, Steve Christou.
Last night Cumberland Council voted 13-2 (suck on those eggs) to revoke the ban, the only two in favour being Steve Christou (of course) and his little anti-LGBTQIA+ accomplice Eddy Sarkis. Per the Guardian, councillors who were not present, voted for or decided against voting during the first vote decided to speak up against this ban this time.
The official motion was put forward by Labor’s Kun Huang (king), which moved to see all the books in Cumberland Council be organised by official guidelines. You know, the ones that don’t apply personal prejudices to books. This means Holly Duhig‘s A Focus On: Same Sex Parents, which sparked this whole debate in the first place, will be placed in the children’s non-fiction section where it belongs.
During the meeting, it is reported Steve Christou (who brought the initial motion to ban the books to council) attempted to see all same-sex books moved to the adult’s only section. This move failed. Sarkis then attempted to see Holly Duhig’s book, and only her book banned. This move also failed.
A large amount of police were reportedly present outside the council building in Merrylands, including riot squad officers who divided the protestors on both sides of the debate to stop them from clashing. Per the Guardian, the yelling from protestors lasting for more than four hours.
Members of the Maritime Union of Australia and Pride in Protest were seen lobbying against the initial book ban. On the other side of the fence? Nobody of note. Just the usual band of anti-LGBTQIA+ numpties with nothing better to do. Although one of them reportedly shouted “go back to Newtown”, which although it makes my skin crawl and my eyes roll back into my head, I did let out a teeny little chuckle.
Local librarian Julie Thomas slammed the fact the book was banned in the first place in an interview with the Guardian.
“Is a book’s innocuous cover enough to determine its offensiveness?” she told the publication.
“If the offensive topic is sex, has anyone considered how empty the shelves will be?”
Drag them Julie!!
Same sex parenting books will be back on the shelves in Sydney’s Cumberland Council, and hopefully, Steve Christou will disappear into the nether realm from whence he came.
