The Australian Greens have called for the Australian Christian Lobby to stop their campaign against the Safe Schools Coalition. The Greens spokesperson on sexuality Senator Robert Simms (pictured above) has labeled the ACL’s campaign as “fear mongering”.
The Safe Schools Coalition are an organisation dedicated to helping schools be safer and more inclusive for same sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse students, school staff and families.
The group provide a number of services to the community, such as auditing schools to gauge perspective, specialised training for teachers and staff, consultations & advice, student engagement and learning resources.
The program has been established in Victoria and New South Wales for several years and began being introduced to school in Western Australia in 2015.
Last year the Australian Christian Lobby vowed to have program’s funding removed and launched a media campaign to discredit the program describing it as “promoting radical sexual experimentation in Australian schools.”
The ACL has released almost daily media releases criticising the program and encouraging parents to campaign for it’s removal from schools across the nation. The groups Managing Director Lyle Shelton has labeled the program a ‘Gay Manual“.
Senator Robert Simms has said the concern raised by the ACL that the program recruits young people are ridiculous.
“The idea that simply by talking about differences in sexuality and gender identity, you’re going to ‘recruit’ young people is completely ridiculous. Supporting young people in speaking openly about these issues encourages tolerance and creates more happy and safe school environments,” Greens sexuality spokesperson, Senator Robert Simms said.
“The Safe Schools Coalition is undertaking very important work in preventing bullying in our schools which not only creates a safe and supportive environment but also results in students performing better academically. It’s time for the ACL to stop legitimising the bullying and exclusion of LGBTI young people and abandon their crusade against the safe schools coalition.”
Greens Senator Janet Rice (pictured) echoed Senator Simms’ support for the program.
“High school is such a critical time in everyone’s lives, let alone the lives of young trans, intersex and gender diverse people,” Greens gender identity and intersex issues spokesperson Senator Janet Rice said.
“When these young people are supported at school, they experience less transphobia and better health and wellbeing.
“A third of trans young people have attempted suicide as a result of transphobia. Any reduction of the work of the Safe Schools Coalition because of lobbying against it could have tragic consequences.”
Senator Rice commend the work of the Safe Schools Coalition describing it as vital program that works to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people and their families.
The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has said that many of the schools implementing the program may not be aware of the contents of it’s program and argue that the contents of the ‘All of Us‘ teaching resource was not age appropriate.
Speaking to The Australian newspaper today Wendy Francis from the ACL said the program was a form of “cultural bullying” that forces children to imagine what it would be like to be in a same sex relationship.
While Ms Francis agreed that bullying of LGBTIQ+ students had to be stopped, she is concerned that the program teaches students about sexuality and gender diversity at too young and age.
In a media release earlier this week Ms Francis said that exposure to the material in the Safe School Coalition’s ‘All About Us’ program would lead to students becoming confused about their own identity.
Ms Francis said parent should be concerned about the program describing it as “dangerous”.
Safe Schools Coalition makes front page news for The Australian
The Australian newspaper highlighted the Australian Christian Lobby’s concerns in a front page story of today’s edition but federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham has defended the program.
“Homophobia should be no more tolerated than racism, especially in the school environment,’’ Senator Birmingham told The Australian. “The resource is intended to support the right of all students, staff and families to feel safe at school.’’
The newspaper’s decision to run the issue as a front page exclusive story has been mocked by Buzzfeed News Australia, who have highlighted that the teaching resource was released last year. In an article titled ‘The Australian has just discovered that the Safe School’s program exists’ the news website criticises The Australian’s coverage.
Program has faced widespread criticism from religious groups
Criticism of the program has not just come from the Australian Christian Lobby. In 2014 Margaret Court, the leader of the Victory Life Church in Western Australia, delivered s sermon where she described the program as being akin to the spread of communism. Reverend Court told her followers that the Safe Schools Coalition was part of a plan to brainwash children.
Former Pastor, now conservative Liberal MP, Peter Abetz has also been a vocal opponent of the program reportedly describing it as “a gay, lesbian, transgender lifestyle promotion program.”
WA AIDS Council defends the program
In Western Australia the Safe Schools Program is managed by the WA AIDS Council. Chief Executive Andrew Burry told OUTinPerth today that the organisation is proud to be the WA partner.
“We’re extremely proud to be selected as a partner organisation to make schools safe for all our young people in WA.” Mr Burry said. “We’re particularly delighted that this program has such universal political support at the federal level as well as here in Western Australia.”
“There’s an overwhelming amount of research that shows that you can not convert someone to be something they are not, and there is no way that [changing someone’s sexuality] could be an outcome of the Safe Schools program.” Mr Burry said.
OIP Staff, front page Image: stock image Yay Micro
