Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Just on a month ago, the Australian public learnt that religious schools could expel lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children and fire LGBTQ-plus teachers and other staff members simply on the basis of who they are, simply on the basis of their sexuality or their gender identity. And they were horrified. An opinion poll showed that 74 per cent of voters oppose these laws that allow religious schools to select students and teachers on the basis of their sexual orientation, their gender identity or their relationship status. So, it is urgent that we continue to debate and, in fact, to vote on our private senator's bill to remove these discriminations today. Even the Prime Minister admits that removing discrimination against students is urgent. Last month he said that we need to act now. Well, we can act, and we must. People have suffered for too long. We can pass this bill through the Senate today. Our amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act to remove these discriminations are simple and straightforward, and the Australian community and the LGBTIQ community will celebrate when they are passed. Right now these exemptions to Australia's antidiscrimination laws serve only to harm and to threaten LGBTQ people who attend or work at religious schools or who wish to do so.

Yesterday I launched a call for LGBTQ-plus people who are attending or working at religious schools or who did so in the past to share their stories with us, and the stories have started to flow in. I received a letter yesterday from someone who has asked that they remain anonymous. They said: 'For weeks I and many like me have been nervously watching the headlines wondering what, if any, changes will be made to the Sex Discrimination Act. Why do I care? Because I'm a teacher at a Christian school, and I'm gay. I go to work each day eager to impart knowledge on my pupils, but each day I am terrified. Currently, if my employers found out that I was in a same-sex relationship, they could legally fire me. I know you're wondering why I don't just leave and teach at a school where I am welcome. At the end of the day I am still a Christian and I want to be here. My Christianity is a choice; my sexuality is not. Some people, including my own father, have said, "Just keep your head down and pretend you're single." Just imagine for a minute that the people you are with nine hours a day, five days a week, do not know that the person you love even exists.'

The Greens have fought for years to change our laws and end this damaging discrimination. Our bill removes exemptions for students, teachers and staff members at religious schools and protects them not just on the basis of their sexuality but on the basis of their gender identity, because trans and gender-diverse people have hardly been mentioned in the public debate other than the very identity of trans students being under constant attack, including during the current Victorian election campaign. Trans and gender-diverse students, along with lesbian and gay students, must not be able to be expelled, and staff members must not be able to be fired.

Before the Wentworth by-election, the Labor Party said that they supported ending this discrimination towards students and teachers and the Prime Minister committed to stopping religious schools from expelling LGBTQ students before the end of October, but so far nothing has changed. The Prime Minister missed his self-imposed deadline, and we are worried that instead of working with the Greens to end this discrimination now the Labor Party wants to delay action, potentially until after the next election.

This week marks one year since the marriage equality postal survey results came in with a resounding yes vote showing that the majority of Australians supported removing discrimination in our marriage laws and making marriage equality a reality. Let us mark this momentous anniversary by taking another step forward in our fight to remove discrimination and to have equality for LGBTIQ Australians. Let's end this discrimination in our laws and in our schools, once and for all. I call on all senators in this place to support this motion and to support the Greens bill today.