August 27th 2024.
In the charming town of Albany, located in Western Australia, the LGBTQI+ community is currently facing a difficult challenge. There is a group making efforts to ban sexual education books from local libraries, and the community is determined to fight back against this oppressive movement.
The city has become divided in recent months as the group known as Keeping Children Safe Albany continues to push their controversial agendas. Their main goal is to restrict access to two sex education books, "Welcome to Sex" by Dr. Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes, and "Sex: A Book for Teens" by Nikol Hasler. Additionally, they are concerned about a "twerkshop" event that was held during the Albany Pride Festival.
These books, which are listed under the "junior non-fiction" category in the Albany Public Library, have become a topic of controversy. "Welcome to Sex" even received a nomination for the Prime Minister's Literary Award. However, it has faced backlash in the past, as it was pulled from the shelves of Big W last year due to angry customers.
Led by former One Nation candidate Michelle Kinsella, Keeping Children Safe Albany was able to gather enough signatures to force a special meeting of electors for the council. This meeting took place on Monday night and was attended by over 400 people from both sides. According to Albany Mayor Greg Stocks, five motions were passed, including restricting access to the two books and investigating the organizers of the twerkshop event to see if they have working with children checks.
On the other side, a counter-motion was passed on behalf of Albany Pride. This motion requires all local organizations that interact with children, including churches, to obtain a working with children check. Outside of the meeting, Albany Pride and Rainbow Futures WA gathered with flags and banners as a peaceful protest against Keeping Children Safe Albany.
In a joint statement, they expressed their stance against "confused bigotry" and emphasized the importance of creating a welcoming and accepting environment for all children. They acknowledged that the safety of children is a top priority, and many of them are parents who work hard to protect their children from harm.
The statement also highlighted the harmful effects of moral panic and the importance of providing children with diverse perspectives rather than sanitizing their access to information. They firmly believe that attempting to divide a town with bigotry does not keep children safe; in fact, it actively harms them.
Other LGBTQI+ groups, such as Equality Australia, WAAC, Living Proud, Youth Pride Network, and Equal Voices WA, have shown their support for Albany Pride in this ongoing fight. The five motions that were passed will be voted on at a council meeting on September 24.
For those seeking support, resources such as Lifeline and beyond blue are available to provide assistance. It is crucial to create a safe and accepting environment for all children, and it is up to adults to show them that they are valued and supported. Let us all work towards a society where children can grow up proud of who they are, without fear of discrimination or harm.
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