Catholics back ban on LGBTI school bans

Catholic schools have backed the federal government’s plan to ban religious schools from expelling LGBTI+ students.

National Catholic Education Commission executive director Jacinta Collins.

Catholic schools have backed the federal government’s plan to ban religious schools from expelling LGBTI+ students.

The National Catholic Education Commission said it supported Scott Morrison’s attempt to remove the exemption for religious schools from the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act.

The planned change is a political trade-off for the government to ram its proposed Religious Discrimination Bill through federal parliament this week.

It follows furore over a Christian school’s attempt to force parents to sign an enrolment contract accepting expulsion of transgender, gay or lesbian students.

The contract had required students to behave in accordance with their “birth gender’’.

NCEC executive director Jacinta Collins on Tuesday said Catholic schools would never try to exclude LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual or intersex) students. “Religious schools should be allowed to operate within their religious ethos, but that doesn’t mean discriminating against gay students,’’ she said.

“We’ve got students whose gender identity doesn’t necessarily conform to the single-sex school that they’re in. We manage the issue on a case-by-case basis, sensitive to the needs of the students.

“Sometimes the student will want to transition to another school, and some students in years 11 or 12. they want to stay, and that’s facilitated.’’

Ms Collins, a former Labor senator, said Catholic schools would never try to expel a student on the grounds of sexuality.

“We’re schools responsible for the wellbeing of children and young adults, and we just don’t treat people that way,’’ she said.

“We don’t overtly discriminate against people because of their personal characteristics and attributes – that is just not Catholic.’’

The principal of Citipointe Christian College in Brisbane, Pastor Brian Mulheran, stood aside last week after sending parents an enrolment contract that likened homosexuality to pedophilia.