Australia’s Presbyterian Church has argued it needs the right to stop students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender from taking on leadership positions in schools.
The church has made the claim in a submission to a review of Australia’s anti-discrimination laws. In their submission the religious organisation that governs some of Australia’s most prestigious private schools said students that entered into same-sex relationships, and those who had sex outside of marriage, were not suitable to be appointed as school captains or other leadership positions.
““They would not be able to give appropriate Christian leadership in a Christian school which requires modelling Christian living,” the church said.
Australia’s Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said that while he respected people’s religious views, discriminating against children on the basis of their sexuality made him uncomfortable.
“We can’t see a situation where we’re inadvertently discriminating against kids,” he told Nine’s Today program on Friday.
“Leadership and the qualities of leadership are not a function of people’s sexual orientation, and we need to make sure we have the widest pool of people for leadership positions across our society.”
The Law Reform Commission’s review is looking into proposals to adjust Australia’s laws and remove exceptions to the anti-discrimination act currently enjoyed by religious based schools. The government is proposing to remove the loopholes that allow LGBTIQA+ staff and students to be fired from their employment or expelled from their school over their sexuality.
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged to remove the laws which allow students to be discriminated in religious based schools back in 2018. His government made many attempts to introduce a Religious Discrimination Bill but were later reluctant to make immediate changes to the association Sex Discrimination Act. The issue has dragged on for so long now, a Year 8 student in 2018 would now be in university.
Yesterday former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said his view was religious schools needed to retain the right to discriminate.
“It’s a messy one,” he told Sky News. “I just think that parents have a right to say, ‘I had these values and I want the school to have these values because that’s why I’m putting my hands in my pocket to pay money.’
“If you go to a public school, and there are great public schools, they won’t ask you those questions. There’s always alternatives.”
Just.Equal Australia condemned the Presbyterian Church for wanting to exclude LGBTQ+ students from leadership positions, saying it shows the need for a national law preventing such discrimination.
Just.Equal spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said the church was showing their true colours in the submission.
“Excluding LGBTQ+ students from leadership positions sends the message that these students do not fully belong in the school community and will encourage further discrimination against them.”
“Religious schools have consistently said they don’t exercise their right to discriminate against LGBTQ+ students and teachers, but the Presbyterian Church has exposed that as untrue.”
“The Presbyterian position, plus last year’s revelations about anti-gay and anti-trans policies at Citipointe Baptist School, show there is a pattern of discrimination in some faith-based schools.” Rodney Croome said.
“These ongoing revelations show why national laws are needed to protect LGBTIQ+ students and teachers from discrimination.”
Croome said prohibiting anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination is not a radical proposal, noting it is already covered in state-based legislation across Australia.
“Most states and territories already prohibit anti-LGBTQA+ discrimination in faith-based schools, including Tasmania, Victoria, the ACT, Queensland, the Northern Territory and soon WA.”
“The emerging consensus is that faith-based schools should not be allowed to discriminate and national law must reflect and re-inforce that consensus.”
“This is not just in regard to students but also teachers, who should be protected from all discrimination at all points including recruitment.”
“Just.Equal has raised concerns that some statements by the current Federal Government appear to allow discrimination at the point of recruitment and we re-iterate our view that this would be unacceptable.” Croome said.
In response the comments from National’s MP Barnaby Joyce, Croome said parents were not choosing education providers because they wanted the right to discriminate.
“Parents who send their children to faith-based schools pay for what they believe will be a good education, not discrimination and exclusion.”
“Most funding for faith-based schools came from taxpayers and as such these schools have a duty to represent the values of the majority of Australians.”
YouGov Galaxy polled 1,015 Australians in 2018 and found 78% of respondents said church schools which discriminate against LGBTQ+ teachers and students should not be entitled to taxpayer funds.
The Law Reform Commission’s report is due to be delivered on 21st April.
OIP Staff
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