Elton John slams Mayor of Venice over gay book ban

Sir Elton John has hit out at the Mayor of Venice over his recent decision to ban children’s books dealing with same-sex relationships from the city’s primary schools.

Back in June, the city’s newly-elected right-wing Mayor Luigi Brugnaro issued a decree ordering ‘gay’ books to be removed from the city’s public schools – including And Tango Makes Three, a book about two male penguins who raise a chick together.

Now Sir Elton, who has two sons with his husband David Furnish – four-year-old Zachary and and two-year-old Elijah – has taken to Instagram to slam the “boorishly bigoted” politician’s policy, accusing him of championing a “a future society that’s divisive and fostered by ignorance”.

Sharing a picture of The Family Book – a 2003 children’s tale by Todd Parr that includes same-sex parents – the 68-year-old wrote: “Here is one of the Furnish-John family’s favourite storybooks.

“It champions an all-inclusive world where families come in all shapes, sizes and colours. And most importantly, that families are about love. Our boys adore it.

“And in the opposing corner we have Luigi Brugnaro, the extremely silly looking mayor of Venice. He’s stupidly chosen to politicise children’s books by banning titles that touch on same sex families living happily ever after.

“So instead of encouraging a world based on inclusiveness, tolerance and love, he’s championing a future society that’s divisive and fosters ignorance.

“Beautiful Venice is indeed sinking, but not as fast as the boorishly bigoted Brugnaro. #ShareTheLove”

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