Safe Schools program vital in making students more aware of how to treat gay classmates

THOSE opposed to the Safe Schools program — especially MPs — are not living in the real world.

North Fitzroy High School is a member of the Safe Schools Coalition, in an attempt to be a safe and supportive school for same sex attracted, intersex and gender-diverse students and teachers and families. Teacher Bronwyn Lewis has started up the Pride Group at the school.second from right Students Joel,14, Jack,14 Dash,14 and Delphi, 14. Pictures:Angie Basdekis

NON-HETEROSEXUAL Australians are 14 times more likely to attempt suicide and the average age of the first suicide attempt is just 16.

Let’s bear that in mind while we take a calm look at the Safe Schools program designed to curb bullying against same-sex-attracted and gender-diverse kids.

The program was created in Victoria in 2010 after teachers requested better resources to cope with a growing number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) kids who were struggling with their identity.

It’s since been rolled out nationally and more than 500 schools — including 60 in South Australia — have voluntarily signed up.

Schools then decide how involved they want to be: some access free resources that are available to anyone off the Safe Schools website; others get training for their senior leadership group or their teachers.

The resources are designed for high schools but some primary schools make use of age-appropriate materials, too. One example of how primary schools might implement the program is including a book in storytime that features two mums, as well as a book with a mum and dad.

Importantly, the program is about supporting teachers to do what they are meant to do — provide a safe and inclusive classroom. It’s not about “gay activists” invading your school to brainwash your kids.

And if you think primary school children are too young for any of this, consider this: the respected 2010 LaTrobe University study, Writing Themselves In 3, found that 10 per cent of non-heterosexual Australians had always known their sexuality, with a further 25 per cent knowing by the age of 10 and 60 per cent by the age of 13.

Just think back to your own childhood — you might not have been doing anything about it (even talking about it) but I bet you knew you liked boys or you liked girls before high school.

Now think about the world our kids live in today, where the internet and increasingly relaxed TV rules are likely to make our kids even more aware of their sexuality — and certainly not less.

So why are conservative politicians so enraged by the Safe Schools program?

Liberals senator Cory Bernardi, from SA, says it’s resulting in kids being “isolated and intimidated” into conforming to a “homosexual agenda”.

Family First Senator Bob Day, also from SA, says “many families do not talk about boyfriends and girlfriends in the pre-teen years” and that parents are pulling their children out of schools because the program infringes on their family values.

Nationals MP George Christensen likened the program to grooming undertaken by sexual predators.

Home economics teacher Melanie Gaylard with students at Reservoir High School, in Victoria, which is also part of the Safe Schools program.

And now, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has bowed to pressure from these ultra-conservatives and ordered a review of the $8 million, four-year program.

All of which I find terribly sad, because it perpetuates a negative — that these kids are somehow different and a support program designed for them is somehow dirty, that supporting non-heterosexual kids is a “family values” issue and not an anti-discrimination issue.

Politicians should be intelligent enough to know their statements don’t occur in a vacuum.

Or maybe they’re acutely aware of this fact, and quite happy to stir up parental angst ahead of an MP vote or plebiscite on same-sex marriage that already has more than 70 per cent popular support.

Who cares if a few gay kids get caught in the crossfire? I care.

The Writing Themselves In 3 report found that 61 per cent of young Australians experience verbal abuse because of homophobia and 18 per cent experience physical abuse. Eighty per cent of this abuse occurs at school.

As SA Education Minister Susan Close say: “Being gay doesn’t make you depressed or liable to self-harm — bullying and intolerance do that. That’s why we need programs that promote tolerance and understanding.”

The Safe Schools program is working and our kids, our schools and our society are better for it.

AND ANOTHER THING ...

■ Adelaide sure knows how to pop on her lippy and fluff up her skirts at this time of year. I haven’t seen a stack of Fringe performances, but Showtime at Gluttony is a hoot, and for quick, cheap family thrills you can’t go past The Freak Show in The Garden of Unearthly Delights.

■ No surprise that counter-terrorism detectives have charged three Melbourne brothers over their increasingly dangerous video pranks involving fake bombings, abductions and drive-by shootings. When I first saw the videos I was naive enough to think the victims were actors knowingly involved in the stunts. To scare anyone in that way is outrageous — to terrorise a little girl with a fake AK-47 is unforgivable. It also undermines efforts to unite Muslim and non-Muslim Australians.