Plan to let religious schools reject gay kids and teachers is dangerous and disgraceful

AUSTRALIA, how can we in all good conscience discriminate against children for being the way they were born? It’s not right and the consequences will be dire.

OPINION

AUSTRALIA, how can we in all good conscience discriminate against children for the way they were born?

Can we sleep soundly at night knowing that already vulnerable and marginalised kids are being subjected to further significant harm and risk?

We might need to get used to it pretty quickly, if the government’s religious freedom review ever finds its way to the floor of our Parliament.

Ordered after the resounding yes vote in last year’s same-sex marriage postal survey, where two-thirds of us backed equality, the review was tasked with looking at how we could protect religion.

The final report was kept secret and has been sitting in a desk drawer somewhere in Canberra for several months, its details only revealed today after a leak to a newspaper.

Essentially, the committee concluded that religious schools should be able to refuse an education to gay and lesbian students.

On top of that, they should be able to sack teachers who are gay.

The religious freedom review was ordered after two-thirds of Australians voted in favour of same-sex marriage. Picture: Jono Searle.

The reaction to the report has rightly been emotional, but let’s remove that for a second and just consider the facts:

It’s a fact that you don’t choose to be gay — it’s the way you’re born. The the way you are.

It’s a fact that every child in this very privileged country of ours deserves to feel safe and secure.

It’s a fact that education is a basic right in this country for all children — no ifs or buts.

So, the religious freedom review determining that this type of discrimination should be legislated — enshrined in law — is simply a disgrace.

Replace ‘gay’ with ‘black’ or ‘Asian’. Or ‘red head’. We would not even be having this conversation if any of those words, or countless others, used to describe how someone was born, were used instead of gay.

Targeting people and punishing them for the way they were born would have dire consequences. We know this. We have seen this sad reality countless times.

Gay and lesbian youth in Australia are six times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.

Australia, like many grown up societies, has made big leaps when it comes to accepting people who are different. But our world, modern though it may be, is still too often an unsafe place for these kids.

LGBT young people experience mental illness more often than their counterparts and have higher rates of self-harm.

Too many children and teens die because they can’t be who they are — because they’re told that it’s not right and it’s tolerated.

School is hard enough for many marginalised and at-risk kids — it shouldn’t be made more dangerous by legislated discrimination.

The majority of first-time suicide attempts in gay and lesbian young people take place before they come out. So, forcing a whole bunch of them back into that shame-filled, incredibly dark closet is a sure-fire way to load on the disadvantage.

Imagine the level of horrific damage that would be done to those living with the constant threat of being kicked out of school?

Some states already allow schools to discriminate on the basis of sexuality, which is abhorrent.

When asked about the report today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to say on half a dozen occasions whether he thought it was right or wrong to expel students for being gay.

Religious schools receive taxpayer money to operate. Perhaps it’s time we ask for that money back, especially if they demand a set of special rules that go so thoroughly against our society’s values of fairness and a fair go.

Religion plays a part in Australia and should be protected. People should be able to worship freely without fear of persecution.

But you know who else deserves protection and is at far greater risk of harm? Children.

— If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.