Leader of Kent County Council refuses to apologise for false transgender book claims
Kent County Council has since said the book which triggered the ban was in fact on display at the front of a library in Herne Bay, not the children's section
Last updated 8th Jul 2025
The leader of the Kent County Council has refused to apologise for a social media post which wrongly claimed there was a 'transgender related' book in the children's section of a library in Kent.
Linden Kemkaran said the book was removed with immediate effect after a fellow Reform Councillor said he had been informed of "transgender ideologies" in the children's section of a library.
But KCC have since said the book which triggered the announcement of a ban on transgender material in the children's section of local libraries was in fact on display at the front of a library in Herne Bay.
Councillor Kemkaran said after defending herself against criticism from Chatham and Aylesford Labour MP Tris Osborne: "Child safeguarding has to come at every adults list and I think, in the past, we have seen a lack of child protection coming at the top of people's priorities.
"They Labour would much rather pander to different communities so they can get votes rather than put child safeguarding at the top of their list.
"I think they should take a leaf out of our book, where children protection comes top of the list for all of my councillors here in Reform."
The book Reform were referring to was The Autistic Trans Guide to Life by Yenn Purkis and Dr Wenn Lawson, which is a book for autistic trans and/or non-binary adults marketed as providing "tools and strategies they need to live as their best self".
There is no suggestion from the promotional material around the book that it contains any reference to telling children they are in the "wrong bodies".
In his video posted to social media on Thursday, the Reform Cllr responsible for the ban Paul Webb claimed: "I was recently contacted by a concerned member of the public who found trans-ideological material and books in the children's section of one of our libraries - I've looked into this, and it was the case,
"I have today issued an instruction for them all to be removed from the children's section of our libraries."
The council has since rowed back on his suggestion that the book was in the children's section and says that they have not, in fact, changed policy.
A KCC spokesperson told PA Media: "We have not changed policy. We have simply issued internal instructions to reaffirm existing expectations: that adult books are not to be placed in areas specifically aimed at children, such as children's sections or public welcome displays where children select books."
It is unclear how the council will classify transgender-related books, and whether there will be a tangible change as a result of this instruction.