Reform UK council claim removal of trans books is about ‘child protection’
Kent County Council issued the statement after backlash (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Kent County Council issued the statement after backlash (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Kent County Council has said trans-focused books were removed from the children’s section of libraries to protect youngsters.
Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran took to X/Twitter last week to announce the removal of “trans material” from the children’s sections of all libraries in the county, in a move reminiscent of the Republican-led book bans in the US.
Reform UK took control of the council after the local elections in May, winning 56 seats.
Headed by right-wing populist Nigel Farage, Reform was founded in 2018 as the Brexit Party and has since undergone a rebranding and become known for its anti-immigration policies and Eurosceptic stance. The party has a poor record when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights.
“Another victory for #commonsenseinKent, my brilliant cabinet member councillor Paul Webb has just got this trans material removed from the children’s sections of all Kent’s libraries,” Kemkaran wrote at the time.
“Telling children they’re in the ‘wrong body’ is wrong and simply unacceptable.”
🔥Another victory for #commonsenseinKent 🔥my brilliant cabinet member Cllr Paul Webb has just got this trans material REMOVED from the children’s sections of all Kent’s libraries.
— Linden Kemkaran (@LeaderofKCC) July 2, 2025
Telling children they’re in the ‘wrong body’ is wrong and simply unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/nDTKG5rZGQ
Following a backlash from authors, residents and wider members of the LGBTQ+ community, the council issued a statement on Tuesday (8 July).
“KCC has confirmed that children are not and will not be exposed to adult transgender literature in our libraries,” the statement read. “Staff at the county’s 99 libraries have been asked to ensure that books are always stocked in age-appropriate categories and that no adult literature makes its way into areas specifically aimed at children, or where children will be selecting books, such as the public welcome displays.
“It follows feedback from a resident who spotted a transgender book aimed at adults in a public display at the entrance of one library. The book has since been relocated to a section that is unlikely to be visited by children.”
PinkNews approached Kent County Council to clarify if all adult literature, such as crime novels or romance stories, would be removed from welcome displays and areas where children might happen to see them, or if it was just titles with trans themes. No response has been received.
Speaking to PinkNews at the weekend, non-binary activist and the founder of the Trans Kids Deserve To Grow Up campaign, Dee Whitnell, described the council’s decision as “extremely frustrating” and warned it would have the opposite of protecting young people.
“Under the guise of ‘protecting the children’, this ban will actively take vital resources away from them,” Whitnell, the author of LGBTQ+-inclusive sex-education book Beyond Bananas and Condoms, went on to say.
“Not only am I a trans author, but I’m a trans author based in Kent. I am worried about what will follow this decision and if further steps will be taken to erase trans+ people from public view.
“At one of my signings, a young person told me that my book would ‘save lives’ and now that message rings even more true, particularly as [it] covers inclusive sex education which the government has fallen short on delivering.
“You cannot erase trans youth, they will continue to exist. This ban will simply push young people to find other avenues for information, and that may put them in risky situations.”
Meanwhile, Shea Coffey, the founder of Trans Pride Kent, and a mother of three, told Kent Live: “The idea that seeing a book on display could ‘turn a child trans’ is laughable. But this was part of a wider attack on the rights of LGBT+ people. I’m sure, like in America, it won’t stop with books or flags.
“The message it sends is Reform UK wants to remove art, literature and safe spaces. What is next? The removal of LGBT+ council staff or LGBT+ librarians and teachers?
“People need to understand it’s not new. If we left trans people alone, they would thrive and contribute to society in a multitude of ways.”
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