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In Australia, book banning is thankfully rare, especially at public libraries. That’s why it feels so shocking that a western Sydney council has just banned all books depicting same-sex parenting in its eight public libraries. Councillor Steve Christou, who spearheaded the move, argued these books “sexualised” children and he doesn’t think toddlers should be “exposed” to same-sex content.
Sarah Mokrzycki provides fascinating context about how book bans work in Australia in her article on the affair – and argues banning books about same-sex parenting relationships implies they are “unnatural or strange”. In fact, book bans often tend to focus on LGBTQI+ books, which suggests they are a veil for homophobia. This latest Australian attempt follows last year’s efforts to implement a national ban on the young adult graphic novel Gender Queer, the first book in ten years to be taken to the Australian Classification Board. The ban didn’t stick: the board classified it as “unrestricted”, with an M rating, meaning it was not recommended for readers under 15.
In the US, book bans are a big problem – and escalating. Attempts to censor books at public libraries there increased between 2022 and 2023 by 92%. Just this week, current-affairs comedian John Oliver revealed US public library staff are facing increasing harassment – and even accusations of paedophilia for allowing certain books to be checked out.
It can feel easy to breathe a sigh of relief that cultural life in Australia is far less fraught – and I often do. But as the Cumberland Council example proves, this can happen here too. And when it does, it’s important to pay attention.
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Jo Case
Deputy Books + Ideas Editor
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Sarah Mokrzycki, Victoria University
Cumberland City Council’s ban of books depicting same-sex parents from its libraries implies such relationships are unnatural or strange. What’s happening?
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Daniel Ghezelbash, UNSW Sydney
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
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