news, latest-news

A homophobic letter spreading misinformation about the Safe Schools program has been distributed in Canberra's north. Parent groups and Education Minister Yvette Berry have condemned the statement, which wrongly links the postal survey on same-sex marriage with Safe Schools - an anti-bullying initiative aimed at supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex students. The anonymous leaflet draws on allegations from Canberra Liberal MLA Elizabeth Kikkert that teachers had used Safe Schools as a tool to "groom" children and encourage students to imagine having gay sex. The pamphlet said: "Do you wish for teachers who promote education as a priority rather than gender exploration? "How would you feel if a 12-year-old child was asked to role-play being homosexual because the Safe Schools anti-bullying program has been hijacked by certain teachers who want to groom our most vulnerable to explore being gay or lesbian?" The Canberra Liberals - who did not produce evidence of their claims upon request from the Education Directorate - declined to comment. An adviser said the party was unaware of the letter and had nothing to do with it. The ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association, representing public school parents, and The Association of Parents and Friends of ACT Schools, the peak non-government school parent body, support Safe Schools. AFPFACTS executive officer Linda Fleming said she was "personally appalled" by the letter and slammed its author for "fostering hysteria". "Someone is driving an agenda of bringing the Safe Schools debate into the umbrella of same-sex marriage and they're completely unrelated," she said. "Schools are supposed to be, beyond the home, where your child is most supported. It is the place they spend the most time apart from the home. They're entitled to get support there in whatever form it's needed." John Haydon, president of the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association, said he saw "nothing problematic" within the Safe Schools initiative. "It's a correct and appropriate model to have - that schools should be inclusive of all," he said. "If those kids have different sexual orientation from the majority then they also need to be included and not discriminated against or bullied for those reasons." The ACT will launch its own version of the Safe Schools initiative later this year. Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT, which used to coordinate Safe Schools, has developed the resource. Executive director Tim Bavinton said the letter did not reflect the reality of Safe Schools. "It's wrong at every point and clearly unhelpful," he said. Turner resident Gus Webb, who received the letter, said he believed everyone was entitled to an opinion, "however disseminating distasteful, hateful misinformation is not constructive". "Perhaps the most egregious feature of this letter is the fact that it was delivered anonymously," he said. "Freedom of expression should not be abused by someone hiding behind a computer screen attempting to incite hatred by way of a letter such as this." Ms Berry has repeatedly expressed her support for LGBTI young people and announced funding for the ACT-specific Safe Schools resource in the most recent budget. "Our diversity is beautiful and children should be encouraged to be themselves without experiencing prejudice," she said.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/c3189153-e367-48c1-9968-ad5ea90e680a/r0_75_800_527_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg