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Gay Students To Be Protected But Teachers Still Face Discrimination

Gay students to be protected but teachers still face discrimination

Gay students will be protected but teachers will still face discrimination under proposed changes to existing laws. 

Prime Minster Scott Morrison has pledged to remove laws that allow schools to discriminate against LGBTIQ students.

However, he stopped short of abolishing the same exemptions that apply to teachers.

Gay students protected

Morrison first maintained he had no plans to change existing laws that allow religious schools to discriminate against gay kids and teachers.

However, following a strong public backlash, Morrison, a fundamentalist Christian, did a spectacular about-face. 

He now says he will remove the right of schools to discriminate against gay students.

Background

Following the marriage equality postal survey, religious organisations pressured the government to appoint a panel to examine whether the law adequately protects freedom of religion.

Chaired by Philip Ruddock, the panel received 16,000 submissions from human rights groups, LGBTIQ advocates and churches.

Currently, federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, age, sex, sexuality, disability and other attributes, but not religion.

Although the report hasn’t been officially released, leaks to the media confirm it recommends a change to the Federal Discrimination Act to provide “that religious schools may discriminate in relations to students on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status.”

Currently, state laws in New South Wales already permit such discrimination, but Queensland and Tasmania do not.

Taxpayers shouldn’t fund bigotry

Senator Derryn Hinch called for religious schools who want the right to discriminate against gay students to lose their taxpayer funding.

“Schools cannot discriminate against a child or a teacher on the grounds of sexuality.  It’s just immoral,” he said.

Additionally, columnist Niki Savva said on the Insiders program, “Taxpayers shouldn’t be asked to fund bigotry.”


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Teachers still at risk

However, the proposed changes only apply to LGBTIQ students, and not teachers.

Therefore, faith-based schools can fire, or not hire, staff based on their sexual orientation or marriage status.

Miles Heffernan from Discrimination Claims said:

“It is disgraceful that the government funds these schools with millions of public dollars and allows them to discriminate against employees.

“And it’s not just schools.

“Currently, people employed in hospitals, or nursing homes or charities are also vulnerable, and could face the sack if they’re gay, or if they are a single mother or even if they are receiving IVF treatment.

“It’s outrageous and the law needs to changed to ban it.”

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