In proposing the motion as set out on the Agenda, Councillor Charles Gibson said the actions proposed were simple and presented no costs to the Council. He referred to recent announcements from KCC and said it was important that SBC reaffirmed its commitment to the LGBTQ plus community and for young people to have appropriate access to education and information. Councillor Gibson highlighted a recent incident that showed how important it was for SBC to reaffirm their support, and he thanked Councillor Ben J Martin for seconding the motion in Councillor Perkin’s absence.

Councillor Ben J Martin seconded the motion and reserved his right to speak.

Members were invited to speak, make comments and ask questions and these included:

·         Sought clarification that the support did not include funding;

·         supported freedom of speech;

·         said the announcement from KCC had inadvertently drawn attention to the fantastic range of books about the LGBTQ plus community that were available in libraries;

·         KCC did support the LGBTQ plus community but the books were simply moved to a more age appropriate area of the library;

·         pointed out that books were displayed at the entrance of the library as it was Pride month;

·         if young people were unsure of who they were and parents wanted to help, it was the parents’ right to have access to literature that could assist;

·         libraries were spaces for learning, exploration and community and should reflect the people they served and provided access to stories that helped individuals feel seen, understood, and respected;

·         censorship by politics had no place in libraries;

·         children deserved access to a wide range of identities and experiences;

·         the motion sought what should already be expected, a public commitment to freedom of expression, inclusive education, and support for age appropriate, diverse content in our libraries;

·         censorship did not make difficult topics disappear, it drove them into silence and stigma;

·         questioned at what point did it become detrimental to keep pointing out differences in people?;

·         we needed to be celebrating all people in all capacities all the time; and

·         supported the motion but considered KCC had bigger issues to face and needed to focus on the issues residents had voted for them to be represented.

The seconder of the motion, Councillor Ben J Martin, said it was clear that every individual should feel respected and included, and libraries should respect diverse people and provide comprehensive education. He added that every individual might learn and absorb information from a book at different ages. Finally, Councillor Martin urged KCC to start doing business through debate at meetings and not using Press Releases.

The proposer of the motion thanked Members for their comments.  He acknowledged the comment from a member of the Reform UK group that KCC and Reform UK did support the LGBTQ plus community and asked that they reflected on whether their tone and behaviour had made that clear to their LGBTQ plus employees and residents in Kent.

Resolved:

That Council:

(1)  Called on Kent County Council to reaffirm its commitment to inclusive education and freedom of expression.

(2)  Writes to the Secretary of State for Education expressing concern about threatened censorship and requesting clear guidance that protected access to LGBTQ plus inclusive materials.

(3)  Supported school, charity and public libraries in maintaining diverse and inclusive collections, including age-appropriate LGBT plus literatures where able.

(4)  Celebrated and promote LGBTQ plus History Month and similar events that affirm the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.