Protesters disrupt Mark Latham transgender bill

Chaos reigned in the Macquarie Room of NSW parliament on Tuesday after a protest erupted at a public hearing for Mark Latham’s bill to ban dis­cussion of gender ­fluidity in classrooms.

Chaos reigned in the Macquarie Room of NSW parliament on Tuesday after a protest erupted at a public hearing for Mark Latham’s bill to ban dis­cussion of gender ­fluidity in classrooms.

The public gallery was packed with members of Community Action for Rainbow Rights, a transgender support group, who hurled insults at the One Nation leader shortly after the hearing commenced.

“You are nothing but a thug and a bigot who doesn’t represent anyone but yourself and a tiny minority of bigots in our society,” leader April Holcombe yelled.

She then led the crowd to repeatedly chant: “Trans rights are under attack! What do we do? Stand-up! Fight back!”

The group were then escorted from the room by police, while Nationals member Wes Fang shouted after them: “You’re a disgrace!”

The hearing, chaired by Mr Latham himself, saw lobby groups from either side of the debate present their cases, ultimately boiling down to one question: Is it ever okay for teachers to discuss gender diversity with students, unbeknownst to the parent?

“[The bill] enacts suitable and robust protections to recognise the right of parents in their children’s education and to mandate the education of children is to be ideology free,” NSW Coordinator of the Australian Christian Lobby Nikki Aben told the committee.

“The choices of children develop as they become adults, but until they become adults it should be the right of their parents to shape them.”

The Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill would ban any discussion of gender fluidity in NSW classrooms, with Mr Latham arguing the reform would “re-establish the primacy of parents in shaping their children’s development and sense of identity.”

It would be mandated that schools consult parents before teaching anything that could be deemed a “core value” and allow them to pull their child from any class they see to violate this action.

Jain Moralee from the Twenty-Ten Association, a gay and lesbian counselling service, said it would be “catastrophic” if school staff were prevented from referring students to her organisation without the permission of the parent.

“It’s out of step globally, to say that a support staff member can’t refer a young person to a service that they so desperately need,” she said.

“What we are in the in the business of doing is preventing suicide, homelessness, and providing young people with the opportunity to lead their best life.”

She added that the bill would “expose many young Australians to harmful discrimination” and stop transgender students from feeling “supported” by their classmates.

However, the Human Rights Law Alliance said schools should not teach gender fluidity “as a fact.”

“(The bill) prohibits indoctrination, and the matter of teaching gender fluidity as a fact rather than a theory,” Principal Lawyer John Steenhof said.

“Parents need to be the primary givers of moral direction especially in matters of sexuality and identity.”