Singapore is going to destroy all its copies of a children’s book about gay penguins

Singapore is so threatened by a children's book about gay penguins that not only is it going to remove said book from library shelves, but it is also going to destroy every copy. 

Seems, oh, a tad extreme, no? 

The book in question is "And Tango Makes Three," which granted made quite a stir in the US as well. It's based on the real-life story of two male penguins at New York's Central Park zoo who adopted a penguin chick and raised him up together. 

Singapore authorities, notorious for micro-managing social life, have also censored and aim to pulp two other children's titles: "White Swan Express," about Chinese orphans being adopted by all kinds of parents including lesbians, and "Who's In My Family," which also mentions gay families. 

The National Library Board said in a statement that it takes "a pro-family and cautious approach in identifying titles for our young visitors," and plans to stand by the ban despite vocal opposition. 

Thousands have signed a petition and an open letter urging for the books to be reinstated. Netizens are not happy.

The decision to ban "And Tango Makes Three" appears to be in response to one incensed homophobic activist, though he is certainly not alone in his views in the conservative city-state.

Gay sex is technically illegal in Singapore, but rarely prosecuted. And gay rights have been gathering steam in recent years, with last month's "Pink Dot" rally drawing its largest ever crowd.

Singaporean censors are fairly strict in their prohibition of same-sex media. In 2011, the small English-speaking nation ruled that no one under the age of 21 could see "The Kids Are All Right," which is about a two-mom family.

And three years before that, a home decor show caught a nearly $11,000 fine for showcasing a gay couple interested in turning their spare room into a nursery. Video games have been banned just for giving players the option of coupling their character with the same sex. Game over.

More penguin news: These penguins in Norway are in danger of over-heating due to hotter than usual summer temperatures