Reform council removes trans books from children’s library section

Unsurprisingly, the move has received backlash.

Kent County Council's Reform UK leader, Linden Kemkaran, said in a post to social media that the removal of the books was a "victory for common sense in Kent".

Labour MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Tristian Osbourne, has labelled the removal of the books as "unedifying gender baiting of the LGBT community".

According to the BBC, one book in particular that had been removed was The Autistic Trans Guide to Life by Yenn Purkis and Wenn Lawson.

Founder and director of Swale Pride, Steven Pullen, described the action as "deeply upsetting".

He said: "It emboldens anti-trans rhetoric and contributes to a culture where marginalised people feel unsafe, unwelcome and silenced."

Speaking with the BBC, Erin Strawbridge, the manager of the Folkestone Bookshop, an LGBTQ+ bookstore said: "Censorship does not stop people from learning information, but it does send the message, and it's sending a message to the young people of Kent that they're not safe and they're not welcome if they're LGBT or trans.

"It just pushes kids into the closet, into worse mental health situations. It's just going to scare young people."

According to Kent County Council, all library staff had been asked to ensure that all books were in age-appropriate sections.

A spokesperson said: "It follows feedback from a resident who spotted a transgender book aimed at adults in a public display at the entrance of one library in Kent.

"The book has since been relocated to a section that is unlikely to be visited by children."