this post was submitted on 15 May 2024
36 points (97.4% liked)

Australia

3613 readers
86 users here now

A place to discuss Australia and important Australian issues.

Before you post:

If you're posting anything related to:

If you're posting Australian News (not opinion or discussion pieces) post it to Australian News

Rules

This community is run under the rules of aussie.zone. In addition to those rules:

Banner Photo

Congratulations to @Tau@aussie.zone who had the most upvoted submission to our banner photo competition

Recommended and Related Communities

Be sure to check out and subscribe to our related communities on aussie.zone:

Plus other communities for sport and major cities.

https://aussie.zone/communities

Moderation

Since Kbin doesn't show Lemmy Moderators, I'll list them here. Also note that Kbin does not distinguish moderator comments.

Additionally, we have our instance admins: @lodion@aussie.zone and @Nath@aussie.zone

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
top 5 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 12 points 6 months ago

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

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

[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Parenting books are a moral sin? And in a linked article - parenting books are sexualising children???

I'd argue that same sex parents adopting or fostering kids who 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.

[–] alansuspect@aussie.zone 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 3 points 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'.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 3 points 6 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


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.


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