A council could be set to condemn Staffordshire County Council over the controversial decision to remove LGBTQ+ materials from libraries. A motion which is set to be presented to Lichfield District Council next week will warn the decision risks fostering prejudice and restricting freedom of expression.
Last month during Pride month the Reform UK-led county council announced it would no longer feature LGBTQ+ displays. Instead the council said that libraries should focus on the core offer of reading, learning and connecting residents to wider council services.
Lichfield Distric Council motion about LGBTQ+ material in libraries, centralbylines.co.uk
Tag: libraries
Reform UK-Led Kent Council Removes Trans-Themed Books from Children’s Library Sections
Kent County Council, led by the Reform UK party, has announced the removal of all books featuring transgender themes from the children’s sections of its libraries—a move that has sparked significant backlash and concern.
The council’s leader, Linden Kemkaran, revealed the decision via X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, 2 July. “Another victory for #commonsenseinKent,” she wrote. “My brilliant cabinet member Cllr Paul Webb has just got this trans material REMOVED from the children’s sections of all Kent’s libraries. Telling children they’re in the ‘wrong body’ is wrong and simply unacceptable.”
The announcement did not include details on which specific titles or materials were removed, nor how many books are affected. Kent County Council oversees 99 community libraries and operates five mobile library vans.
Antony Hook, the Liberal Democrat opposition leader in the council, criticised the announcement as both “vague” and “bizarre”, particularly as it was made on social media rather than through formal council channels. Hook has formally written to the head of Kent Library Services seeking clarification on what materials are being removed.
Reform UK-Led Kent Council Removes Trans-Themed Books from Children’s Library Sections, gayexpress.co.nz