The ban on same-sex parenting books at libraries in a western Sydney council area could be rescinded after widespread backlash and a warning from the premier, Chris Minns, that LGBTQ+ people were being used as a “political football”.

Four Labor councillors on Cumberland city council have lodged a rescission motion to overturn the ban, which they expect will be debated at the next council meeting on 15 May. The vote is expected to be tight.

The 23-page book explores the experience of having two mothers or two fathers in a way that is designed to be understood by young children. Its contents include quotes such as “having same-sex parents is no different to having opposite-sex parents”.

The book notes that “people might make assumptions” and “people might be unkind” and contains advice such as: “All loving families are good. Remember, as long as you are happy, it doesn’t matter what other people think.”

“Treating someone unfairly because of who they love is a type of discrimination and it is never OK,” the book says.

Christou this week publicly confirmed he had not read the book.

Once a Labor party member, Christou defected to Our Local Community in 2019. He ran as an independent for the federal seat of Parramatta at the 2022 election, garnering 2,982 votes.

In 2021, while he was the Cumberland mayor, Christou used his casting vote to defeat a motion that would have installed street signs in the area that said “Racism Not Welcome”.

Christou is known for his outspoken views and has previously advocated passionately for the right to free speech.

On 28 April, just four days before he put forward the amendment to enact the book ban, Christou posted a video on his X account railing against Australia’s eSafety commissioner as a form of “censorship” and an “attack on people’s free speech”.

“Freedom of speech is very important, but this country is being run down the toilet by this government and their communist regime. It’s not on,” he said.