Citipointe Christian College principal Brian Mulheran defends controversial gender contract

The principal of a Brisbane private school has denied that its controversial new gender contract discriminated against gay or transgender students. WATCH THE VIDEO

The principal of a Brisbane private school has denied that its controversial new gender contract was discriminating against gay or transgender students.

Citipointe Christian College principal Brian Mulheran in the video released on Tuesday said he had received hundreds of emails in response to the contract requiring parents to agree that their children will identify as their birth gender or face being excluded from the school.

The move sparked outrage with 140,000 people signing an online petition which calls for the school to recall the contract which also proclaims beliefs that homosexuality and bisexuality are destructive to society.

Citipointe Christian College principal Brian Mulheran

Mr Mulheran in his video said critical media and social media responses to the contract had been “unsettling” for some parents and students.

He said the school had tried to be as fair and transparent as possible within the new enrolment agreement by making its Christian beliefs clear.

“The declaration of faith has been in place for the whole of last year and we want families to consider this ethos so they can make the right decisions for themselves about whether they support and embrace our approach to Christian education,” Mr Mulheran said.

Citipointe Christian College is under fire over its controversial gender contract.

The principal said he had listened to concerns and extended the date to sign the contract by two weeks.

Mr Mulheran said they had received criticism that the college was discriminating against gay and transgender students, but he denied that was the case.

“While I have been principal at the college, we have not expelled or refused to enrol any students on the basis that they are gay or transgender,” he said.

“As a college established for religious purposes, we have the freedom to maintain our Christian ethos and provide families an education based on our shared beliefs.

“It is often misunderstood but it is an established international principal that a legitimate exercise of religious freedom is not discrimination. It is a feature of an open society.”

The principal's response video came after the Queensland Human Rights Commission issued a statement which said the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act had not permitted religious schools to discriminate against currently enrolled students because of their sexuality or gender identity for 20 years.

The statement said expelling, disciplining or otherwise treating a student unfavourably because of these characteristics was unlawful discrimination in Queensland.

“A school policy that requires a trans or gender diverse young person to be treated as their sex assigned at birth, or that requires a young person to hide or deny their sexuality, is likely to amount to unlawful discrimination,” the statement said.

“If a child in a school is treated unfavourably because their parent is LGBTQ+ this may also amount to discrimination on the basis of ‘association’ with their parent’s sexuality or gender identity.”

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner appears in a video supporting Citipointe Christian College students in November 2021.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner on Tuesday said he was one of the parents who had raised his concerns about the contract.

He is also a former student of the Carindale school.

“I have spoken to the Citipointe principal and conveyed my concerns directly,” Cr Schrinner said.

“Regarding the proposed contract, I have not signed it and have no intention of signing it.

“I welcome the indication from the school that it is reconsidering what has been put forward.”

Comedian Christian Hull shared the principal‘s response video to social media on Tuesday, saying it was full of “contradictions and cop outs”.

“He offers no change or solution to the contract,” Mr Hull said.

“We need to band together more than ever.

“Please sign the petition and contact your state and federal member asking for their written and public support on this issue.”

Mr Mulheran said parents now had until February 21 to consider and sign the contract.