Lyle Shelton Targets Courtney Act And Her Children’s Book In Latest Anti-LGBTQIA+ Campaign

Lyle Shelton is once again taking aim at the LGBTQIA+ community, calling for Courtney Act to lose her Botanic Gardens of Sydney ambassadorship and demanding the cancellation of a children’s activity based on her picture book.

The Family First national director and NSW Legislative Council candidate wants Premier Chris Minns to intervene over the Confetti and the Rainbow Garden trail at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

The activity invites children to discover Australian plants, meet characters from the book and collect stamps. Shelton, however, has characterised the garden adventure as an exercise in “gender ideology”.

Lyle Shelton tries to cancel Courtney Act

“Drag queens reading to kids was bad enough. Now NSW taxpayers are funding one as a Botanic Gardens ambassador — with a rainbow trail for children,” Lyle Shelton wrote on Facebook yesterday.

“Parents take their kids to the gardens for plants and nature — not contested gender ideology from a government institution.”

However, the Botanic Gardens’ description of the activity puts plants and nature firmly at its centre.

“Follow the rainbow,” the Gardens wrote in its own Facebook announcement, introducing the self-guided trail inspired by Courtney’s book.

“Written by Shane Jenek (AKA Courtney Act) and illustrated by Dylan Finney, the story is a joyful celebration of diversity, inclusion and the beauty of Australian flora.”

Families can collect a map from The Calyx or the Garden Shop before exploring seven stops.

“Pick up a trail map from The Calyx or the Garden Shop and follow the rainbow through the Garden as you meet the colourful characters from the book inspired by real Australian plants,” the Gardens wrote.

Children who collect all seven stamps can claim a Confetti sticker from the Garden Shop.

 

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Shelton’s accompanying media release presents a considerably more hysterical version of events.

“The NSW Government should not be putting forward as a role model for children an activist who promotes gender-fluid ideology,” he said.

“The Minns Government has no business using public institutions to indoctrinate NSW children into harmful gender-fluid ideology. Parents, not government-backed activists, should guide children on sensitive questions of identity” he continued.

His statement does not identify a passage from the book or a specific trail activity demonstrating the alleged harm.

Shelton also invoked Courtney’s association with Equality Australia and its support for gender-affirming healthcare to argue against her ambassadorship, extending his objections well beyond the garden activity.

“Premier Chris Minns should direct the Botanic Gardens of Sydney to end Shane Jenek’s ambassadorship and discontinue the Confetti children’s activity,” he said.

“Keep the Botanic Gardens about plants, nature and conservation. Leave gender ideology out of our children’s childhoods.”

Courtney’s description of the book offers a different perspective.

In her November 2025 interview with Star Observer, she discussed a story about appreciating others while discovering what makes you yourself.

The book follows a wattle named Confetti exploring a garden of different flowers and characters. Courtney explained that readers had found their own connections with the story, including experiences of ADHD and textured hair.

“Different people have got different takeaways, which is lovely,” she said.

Courtney also recalled children delighting in spotting an ibis in the illustrations during a reading at Sydney’s Botanic Gardens.

Discussing conservative hostility towards queer storytelling in that interview, she emphasised that support outweighed the noisy objections. Those remarks preceded Shelton’s current stance.

His latest campaign follows a familiar pattern of objecting to the LGBTQIA+ community and performers.

In August, Shelton attacked the Rainbow Ready tourism accreditation initiative, which helps businesses demonstrate that LGBTQIA+ travellers are welcome.

He characterised the program as “special treatment” and proposed a separate accreditation for businesses without queer activities or LGBTQIA+ promotion.

That followed his renewed objections to same-sex parenting and surrogacy, including describing surrogacy as “the unfinished business of the same-sex marriage campaign”.

His opposition to drag storytime has also featured in his latest NSW parliamentary bid. Shelton presented his legal dispute with Brisbane drag performers Johnny Valkyrie and Dwayne Hill as a reason to seek changes to anti-vilification laws.

In June, the Queensland Supreme Court dismissed his application for judicial review concerning an appeal tribunal decision in that dispute.

The court said the matter should proceed through the established tribunal appeal process before Supreme Court review.

Now, Shelton is asking the NSW Government to remove another drag performer from a public-facing role and cancel an activity families can choose to enjoy.

“Minns: end the ambassadorship. Cancel the trail. Keep gender ideology out of childhood” he demands.

The Gardens’ invitation is simpler: follow the rainbow, discover Australian plants and collect a sticker.