The Australian Christian Lobby has launched a new initiative encouraging their followers to scour their local libraries for books that they think might be suitable for complaints to authorities. Those who are quick to submit suggestions on books to be banned can win prizes.
“Your mission, if you choose to accept it! Is to check the children’s section in your public and school library for any explicit material, photograph the cover and send it to ACL.” the Christian organisation says on its website.
In a video address ACL spokesperson Wendy Francis said there was a growing concern that libraries across Australia were including books unsuitable for children.
“Libraries should be safe and inviting spaces where children can browse their allocated shelves and read unsupervised without being exposed to explicit obscenity such as Welcome to Sex.” Francis said referencing a recent sex education book written by Yumi Stynes and Dr Melissa Kang.
Francis praised a recent campaign that saw the book removed from shelves in Big W stores but said there also needed to be a push to get the book taken out of libraries across Australia.
Big W have said they removed the book from sale after several incidents which raised concern about staff safety. It is still available from their online store. Dr Melissa Kang was the author of the long running Dolly Doctor column in teenage magazine Dolly. She says her recent book is addressing the real questions that adolescents have about sexuality and sexual practices.
Wendy Francis said the book by Kang and Styles was “filth”.
“I’ve been called a pearl-clutching prude, calling for the innocence of children” Francis said, while clutching her pearls.
Francis said the ACL would campaign to have books with explicit material removed from schools and public libraries. Among the books considered explicit was My Shadow is Purple and My Shadow is Pink by Scott Stewart. The ACL say the best-selling children’s book should be removed from all libraries because it promotes gender fluidity.
Francis shared her recommendation for the best book for children to read – nominating the Bible.
OIP Staff
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