Librarians in one Australian state have been encouraged to ask children as young as five about their gender pronouns, sparking outrage from parents and experts.
The Victorian Government launched a “rainbow library toolkit” on Friday which has since been distributed to more than 290 public libraries across the state.
Launched by the Jacinta Allan government, the toolkit comes with a new set of guidelines that aim to help libraries become more inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ communities and families.
Some of the tips for inclusion offered in the toolkit include adding gender-diverse books to library collections, promoting story time with drag queens, and avoiding the use of “gendered language.” News from heaven reported.
A section titled “Genderless Interactions” urges librarians not to assume elementary school children’s pronouns.
“It is also important to recognize that, especially for young people, gender identity and sexuality can change or evolve over time,” the toolkit states.
‘Boys in particular may want to experiment with different gender expressions through dress, and we can support them by avoiding projecting our gender expectations onto them.’
The toolkit also urges library staff that even if they know a child is visiting their library, it is best to “allow them space to express a change in their identity.”
Victoria’s more than 290 public libraries have been advised to promote drag queen storytimes and not use “gendered language.” Pictured, a drag queen storytime in Melbourne.
This includes finding out if the child still continues to use the same pronouns that he or she used in the past.
‘Informally asking about their pronouns (‘Do you still prefer he/him pronouns?’; ‘Are you still called Sam or is there something else you’d like me to use?’) can let an individual young person know that you are safe, accepting and flexible and, by extension, so is the library,’ the toolkit suggests.
‘(This) can let a particular young person know that you are a safe, accepting and flexible place and that, by extension, the library is too.’
Local Government Minister Melissa Horne said the library toolkit would ensure that “all Victorians” belong in libraries “regardless of their identity”.
The ‘rainbow library toolkit’ was launched in Victoria on Friday with the aim of making libraries more inclusive (pictured, the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne)
Equalities Minister Harriet Shing said the toolkit was proof that the government would always support LGBTQIA+ communities and was trying to make the state a place where people could live “fully and freely”.
The development of the toolkit was based on feedback from 156 LGBTQIA+ families surveyed, as well as 80 library staff members, prompting outrage from critics.
Among those who have criticized the state government’s initiative are conservative education experts.
Dr Kevin Donnelly, a senior researcher at Australian Catholic University, described the toolkit and its guidelines as a “dangerous” example of allowing activists to take the place of parents and said it can “destroy the innocence of childhood”.
Dr Bella d’Abrera, director of the Foundations of Western Civilisation Program at the Institute of Public Affairs, told the Daily Mail Australia that parents should also be “very concerned”.
LGBTQIA+ families and library staff were surveyed (pictured, a couple with the LGBTQIA+ rainbow flag)
“The government supports and funds the indoctrination of children with fringe theories about sex and gender, years before it is appropriate,” d’Abrera said.
‘There is no single circumstance in which it is appropriate for a librarian to have conversations about gender and sexuality with other people’s children.
‘It’s incredible that families can no longer even visit a public library without staff trying to recruit children into the radical gender cult.
“Children should be allowed to be children on their own.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Dr Harriet Shing for comment.
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