Taxpayers Should Not Be Paying for ‘Rainbow Toolkits’: Victorian MP

David Limbrick MP speaks during question time in the Legislative Council at the Victoria State Parliament in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 1, 2020. AAP Image/James Ross

Libertarian MP David Limbrick has expressed concern about the cost to taxpayers of a new “Rainbow Toolkit” program aimed at encouraging LGBT activity in Victoria’s libraries.

Despite Victoria struggling with a cost-of-living crisis, like much of the nation, $14,020 (USD $9,479) will be spent on the program.

As part of the Toolkit, librarians will also be encouraged to ask children as young as five what their preferred pronouns are.

The toolkit provides guidance for staff on planning “inclusive” library events, and making spaces visibly more LGBT-friendly, including relevant books.

In addition to the cost, Limbrick said the level of ideology was not suitable for children.

“I don’t blame parents for being angry about this, because governments should not interfere with personal matters between a parent and a child, I encourage parents to get in touch with political representatives if they feel their children are being indoctrinated,” Limbrick told The Epoch Times.

Limbrick also said it was best left to adults to decide how to raise their children.

“People can make decisions about this when they are adults, but I am very concerned by the impact of harmful gender ideology on children,” he said.

“We need parents to have more choices so they can make decisions about the education of their kids.”

Limbrick said libraries should be for learning, not ideology, and urged more people to get involved at a local government level to ensure councils stick to providing essential services.

Labor Vows More Inclusion

The adoption of the Rainbow Libraries Toolkit was made under Labor Premier Jacinta Allan and launched on Wear It Purple Day—an event to foster inclusion for the LGBT community.

Minister for Equality Harriet Shing joined Public Libraries Victoria CEO Angela Savage at Springvale Community Hub and Library to launch the new toolkit.

The Victorian government said the move had been in response to a need for better information and training in the wake of “a rise in the vilification” of LGBT communities and the targeting of events such as drag story times.

Drag story times have been held throughout Australian libraries and include storytelling sessions with men dressed in drag.

The Allan government funded the program through the Public Libraries Funding Program 2023-2024.

Women’s Group CEO Opposes Plan

Women’s Forum Australia CEO Rachael Wong said the Victorian Labor government had put too many resources into this area.

“Among other things, it is currently running an ad campaign that gaslights women into accepting trans-identified males in their spaces and sports, it is conducting an inquiry into women’s pain which includes men who identify as women, it has defended the housing of a male rapist in a women’s prison, and now it is co-opting librarians to indoctrinate kids in public libraries,” she told The Epoch Times.

“This is despite parents, as well as library staff, feeling deeply uncomfortable with this relentless indoctrination of children.

“I know of librarians and library assistants who have even been forced to leave their jobs over the discomfort of facilitating activities like drag queen story time, too afraid to speak up for fear of being accused of discrimination.”

Wong said libraries should be a place of learning, not indoctrination.