Parents’ fury over gender-neutral school toilets in NSW

An Australian high school’s decision to add gender-neutral pronouns to its toilets has caused a major stir.

An Australian high school’s decision to add gender-neutral pronouns to its toilets has caused a major stir as parents raised concerns.

Northlakes High School on the NSW Central Coast was called out online on Wednesday after a community member took to Facebook with a picture of the signs.

The bathroom labels showed a ‘he/they’ sign on one toilet entrance and “she/they” on another.

The original poster wrote on a community page: “This is criminal in my view. Do people even know this is going on?”

A Central Coast high school has been accused of ‘going woke’ with new toilet signs. Picture: Facebook

Conservative commentator and One Nation MP Mark Latham blasted the move, with The Daily Telegraph reportinghe believed the use of pronouns were “restricted to the woke elite” and didn’t represent the wider community.

“To put them here on the student toilets causes confusion, is unnecessary and raises anxiety,” he said.

“It’s a political statement that raises community alarm about safety and does not help students.”

Mr Latham said an outraged father had been in touch who feared 17 or 18-year-old boys could potentially be using the same toilets as his 13-year-old daughter.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell was asked by Mr Latham in state parliament if the department was aware of the signs.

Ms Mitchell said the government backed safety and support in NSW schools.

Mark Latham has raised alarm over the gender-neutral bathroom signs at a NSW school. Picture: Gaye Gerard/NCA NewsWire

“All public schools in NSW provide safe and supportive learning environments for our students that respect and value diversity and are free from violence, discrimination, harassment and vilification,’” she said.

The Education Department however said the toilets remained “single sex” despite the signs.

“At Northlakes High School, except for one unisex, lockable, single cubicle toilet attached to the school sick bay, all toilets are single sex,” a spokeswoman said.

Mr Latham, who chairs the parliamentary education committee said students should be allowed access to the administrative block toilets if the need was there.