Libraries in Singapore getting rid of certain books in 2014…

Reading online trying to find issues regarding children’s literature around the world, I found something that happened in Singapore in 2014 but which in my opinion may be still going on. It was a situation in which multiple libraries in the country got rid of three books whose “content was against the city-state’s family values.” The libraries are run by the state, which is why they were allowed to destroy the copies. And tango makes three was one of the books, which is about a male penguin couple raising a baby chick. The gay couple was what made it “inappropriate.” The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoptionwas the second book and it was the story that involved adoption by a lesbian couple. Lastly, Who’s in My Family: All About Our Familieswas banned because it included many different family configurations such as gay and heterosexual. The decision was backed up by Singapore’s information minister, Yaacob Ibrahim, after the National Library board (NLB) had removed them from the libraries.

He explained his decision by saying that “the prevailing norms, which the overwhelming majority of Singaporeans accept, support teaching children about conventional families, but not about alternative, non-traditional families, which is what the books in question are about. Societies are never static, and will change over time. But NLB’s approach is to reflect existing social norms, and not to challenge or seek to change them.” He mentions how times change and hints at the possibility of the country maybe thinking differently one day in the future. However, he has no intentions of seeking for a change at the moment or starting to make a difference.In my opinion, it’s definitely a cultural issue in which the country and its beliefs and resistance don’t accept these situations. All these books have teachings and promote diversity, which is definitely something positively seen in other places and communities; while some others remain biased and with stereotypes.

Of course, there were responses and efforts of people to avoid it from happening.  People started online petitions, collected signatures, and some even tried to boycott the libraries and their events. Other reactions were by famous authors like Donald Low, who pulled out of a writers festival as a protest, arguing that there is no strong enough evidence or reason to make such decision, even If the people are conservatives, which makes a lot of sense because the population is being generalized into conservatives and are leaving a handful of people out, who could maybe identify with these stories or maybe just want their families to be accepting, respectful, and educated, which is the mindset in other countries. These group of people are being left out and excluded from an education experience without being able to do anything about it. These people could include Singaporeans or even immigrants. Low believes that “Singapore society is generally tolerant, open and relaxed about people whose sexual orientations are different from ours even if we don’t agree with them,” which isn’t really backed up by the numbers, which say that people have become more vocally opposing of gay rights. Furthermore, gay sex is a criminal offense in the country.

The way I see the country and its religion, I think that time, immigration, diversity, and younger generations are the factors that will be making a difference in the future. Young generations have proven to be more accepting in every sense. Also, in such a modern country, immigration is common, which brings diversity into the country, which could include this kind of diversity.

Works cited:

Hickey, Shane. “Singapore Libraries to Destroy Copies of Gay Penguin Book.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 July 2014, www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/12/singapore-libraries-pull-gay-penguin-book.