Vulnerable gay students should be supported, not shunned

RELIGIOUS schools should not have the right to turn away gay students. The same-sex marriage vote opened up a new era of equality in Australia and we won’t be taken back into the dark ages, where gay people had to hide their sexuality in order to fully participate in society, writes Susie O’Brien.

RELIGIOUS schools should not have the right to turn away gay students.

It’s completely abhorrent. Imagine a school system where gay students — or those suspected of being gay — are singled out and quizzed about their sexuality.

Those who confirm they’re same-sex attracted are isolated from their peers and turfed out of their own school.

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Those who are openly gay would be denied the right to go to school with their siblings and family friends in the first place.

It’s unthinkable. But that’s the reality thanks to a review of religious freedoms by former attorney-general Philip Ruddock.

Ruddock thinks protecting the rights of schools to reject gay students is more important than protecting and caring for gay students.

But why should the Federal Government protect the right of schools to discriminate in this way?

There is no way gay students can be singled out and turned away without causing enormous damage to vulnerable young people. Such a policy would divide siblings, families and communities and cause untold hurt.

Ruddock says there should be “appropriate safeguards” to protect the rights and mental health of the child. But such protections don’t exist. It’s a complete fallacy to suggest there is a safe way of enforcing such harmful policies.

Australians overwhelmingly voted yes to equality in the recent same-sex marriage referendum. We don’t want to find new ways to divide and discriminate members of our community. We want all people treated fairly and equally.

The same-sex marriage vote opened up a new era of equality in Australia and we won’t be taken back into the dark ages, writes Susie O’Brien. Picture: AP

The referendum has opened up a new era of same-sex equality and now Ruddock wants to take us back into the dark ages where gay people have to hide their sexuality in order to fully participate in society.

I don’t believe the rights of religious groups or individuals should give them the ability to discriminate against others, especially vulnerable young people.

We know teenagers who are gay, trans, bisexual and gender-diverse have much higher rates of depression and their suicide attempt rate is six times higher than heterosexual teens, according to BeyondBlue.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a member of a new-age church, said it’s just a question of enshrining “existing law”.

But this is far from the truth. It’s wholesale vilification on the basis of sexuality and should be illegal regardless of the context.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is right. We shouldn’t even be having this debate.

It’s offensive, outrageous and ridiculous. It’s not even about public money. It’s about basic human rights and dignity.

No school — whether public or private — should be able to turn away students on the basis of sexuality.

This is not about protecting schools, this is about an increasingly conservative Coalition jumping on a right-wing bandwagon for electoral gain.

It’s disturbing that Special Minister of State Alex Hawke thinks it’s okay to treat children in this way.

“I don’t think it’s controversial in Australia that people expect religious schools to teach the practice of their faith and their religion,” he told Sky News.

The review found very few examples of religious freedoms being curtailed, so they’ve dreamt up this nasty little scheme to shore up the votes of the religious right.

It’s disgraceful and must not go any further.

Laws should protect children from discrimination, not entrench the right to discriminate.

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