‘Moral panic’: WA community group calls to restrict sex education books in libraries

An Aussie town has been left divided over proposals to restrict children’s sex education books in libraries.

Calls to restrict children sex education books have divided a town in Western Australia, with a local LGBTIQA+ advocacy group hitting back at the “moral panic”.

Local group Keeping Children Safe Albany, led by former One Nation candidate Michelle Kinsella, is calling for restricted access to sex education books Welcome to Sex by Dr Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes, and Sex: A Book for Teens by Nikol Hasler in libraries in Albany, 420 kilometres south of Perth.

In motions presented at a meeting of electors on Monday, the group called for Sex: A Book for Teens to be removed from library shelves until assessed by the Australian Classification Board and Welcome to Sex to be restricted to people aged 16 and over.

Welcome to Sex, which has been nominated for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, was pulled from Big W shelves last year after staff members faced abuse from customers.

The book cover of Welcome to Sex: Your no-silly-questions guide to sexuality, pleasure and figuring it out, by Yumi Stynes and Dr Melissa Kang. Picture: Supplied

The motions came after Keeping Children Safe Albany filed a petition which called on the city to act against “the promotion of sexualising children in the City of Albany through unrestricted books in the Town Library”. The petition also accused the advocacy group Albany Pride of promoting a twerking event to children, the ABCreports.

The group have denied the claim, stating the pride week event was restricted to people aged 18 and over, according to the ABC.

In a joint statement with Rainbow Futures WA, Albany Pride said they “care deeply about the safety of children” and argued groups such as themselves must stand up against “confused bigotry that uses division for electoral gain”.

“It is up to adults to show young people, who are often the targets of this misinformation, that we have their backs and that they can grow up proud of who they are,” the statement read.

“Moral panic over book content doesn’t keep children safe. Sanitising libraries so they reflect only one perspective doesn’t keep children safe.”

Ms Kinsella said Keeping Children Safe believe Welcome to Sex, which was reportedly located in the junior section of the Town Library, contains descriptions and depictions which are “not age or stage appropriate”.

“Keeping Children Safe are concerned with the sexualisation of children in society and education,” she told news.com.au.

“Members of the community approached us in May about their concerns with some books in the Town Library … A librarian could read this book to kindy children during story time.”

The motions will be voted on at a council meeting next month.

Motions called for Sex: A Book for Teens to be removed from library shelves until assessed by the Australian Classification Board. Picture: Amazon/Zest

Book sparks outrage

Welcome to Sex made headlines last year after it was hotly condemned in a viral video from podcast host Chris “Primod” Issa, who claimed it was “grooming our children, exposing them to sexually explicit and highly inappropriate material”.

Weighing in on the issue at the time, Rachael Wong, chief executive of Women’s Forum Australia, told 2GB’s Ben Fordham Live she “felt physically ill at the thought of children reading it”, describing it a “graphic sex guide for children”.

Ms Wong was further disturbed that Stynes, in an Instagram post, said while the book was suitable for ages 10-15, she would be “happy with a mature and smart 8-yo having a flick through”.

During the segment, Fordham took issue with the book warning young readers to crop their faces out if they decided to send explicit photos, arguing: “shouldn’t the advice be ‘don’t take the photos and don’t send them on’?”

Ms Wong argued the book appeared to be attempting to “safeguard” itself but was really “doing the exact opposite because it’s promoting the behaviours and then saying, ‘if you do it in a way that’s careful and can protect your privacy, it’s going to be fine’. When it’s absolutely not going to be fine.

“It’s just so, so disturbing. My friend’s son who is 11 years old, he thinks that kissing is gross and most children his age feel similarly,” she added.

The Twitter account, Alternate Media Watchers, said the segment was “disgraceful”.

“This morning platforming a right wing anti-trans campaigner about child sex education & a litany of moral panic from callers about a book providing comprehensive sexual education material which is proven to reduce the likelihood of child sexual abuse,” its tweet read.

Despite a wave of negative feedback, many parents welcomed the book and said they were eager to introduce it to their children.

“Will be adding this to the resource pile, strongly believe I’m talk early, talk often & openly approach,” a follower of Stynes said of the book at the time.

“This is great! My daughter is six but I’ll get your book anyway. I’m curious to read it,” another said.

“Congratulations! This is incredible. As a teacher, I am very much looking forward to purchasing this for book to have a look through & recommend to parents,” another wrote.

News.com.au has reached out to Albany Pride and the book’s publishing companies for comment.

Originally published as ‘Moral panic’: WA community group calls to restrict sex education books in libraries