BBC Kent, Political Reporter
Getty imagesA council has removed all transgender-related books from the sections of children of its libraries, its leader has announced.
In a post on social media, Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran said the books were to be removed with immediate effect in “victory for general knowledge in Kent”.
Paul Web, Records UK community portfolio holders who oversee libraries, said the step came after “the concerned members of the public” contacted them.
The opposition’s Liberal Democrat leader, Antony Hook said: “It is bizarre that the leaders of the council are announced on social media instead of the council.”
It is unknown to how many books have to be removed or how the council will classify books related to transgender.
The Authority runs 99 community libraries and five mobile library vans.
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Defending the decision, the web said: “In our society, children are quite right and properly protected from things and actions that can harm them – for example alcohol, cigarette and gambling.
“My fellow reform members and I believe that our youth should be saved from coming in contact with potential harmful ideologies and beliefs such as people being organized by Trans Lobists.”
When the BBC asked whether the reform UK had made an assessment to understand the effect of removing books, the web said: “As far as the impact assessment is concerned, I would have thought that these books should have been asked the questions before starting in the children’s section.”
Ms. Kemkaran said: “To tell the children that they are in the wrong body, wrong and just unacceptable.”
Hook said that he wrote to the head of the Kent Library Services whether the books were to be removed, ask for an update on it.
He said: “The announcement made by Ms. Kemkaran is unclear. She does not specify which books she is referring to. It needs to be explained properly.”
Meanwhile, the Labor MP for the Chautham and Ilsford Tristian Osbourne has called the decision “gender of the gender of the LGBT community uncontrolled”.
‘Unsafe, unwanted and silent’
Steven Pulanin, the founder and director of Swail Pride, described the move as “deeply upset”.
He said: “This anti-transition reflects rhetoric and contributes to a culture where marginalized people feel unsafe, unwanted and silent.”
And Erin Strobridge, the manager of the Folkstone Bookshop of LGBTQ+ Bookshop, told BBC Radio Kent, “The censorship does not stop people from learning information, but sends the message, and it sends a message to the youth of Kent that they are not safe and do not welcome LGBT or Trans.
“It only pushes children into the closet, in worse mental health conditions. It is only scaring young people.”
