LGBT Group Blasts 'appalling' Library Book Purge

The government has been accused of "appeasing hate groups" by removing children's books that cover LGBT issues from the shelves of public libraries.

Ten books have been hidden from public display after a complaint from an anti-gay rights group led by the father of pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong.

Roger Wong's Family School Sexual Orientation Discrimination Ordinance Concern Group says the books promote homosexuality.

The titles include "Daddy, Papa and me", "The boy in the dress" and "Milly, Molly and Different Dads"

On Wednesday, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) confirmed that some books have been moved, saying this is to make sure they are only read with parental guidance.

But Brian Leung from the LGBT rights group, the Big Love Alliance, said the move is totally "unacceptable and appalling".

"They emphasised that they moved the books to the closed stacks and the decision is based on concerns expressed by various readers. But we all know so well that it's not expressed by just regular readers of the library, it's by a very notorious Hong Kong anti-gay hate group organised by Roger Wong," Leung said.

"So the decision of moving those 10 books is obviously a kind of bowing down to unreasonable demands, for the sake of appeasing a local hate group. That's totally unacceptable," he told RTHK's AnneMarie Evans.

Leung said his group would be lodging a complaint with the LCSD. He also said a meeting was to be held on Wednesday evening with other LGBT and human rights groups to discuss what further action to take over the matter.