NSW Labor MP Penny Sharpe, a lesbian parent of three, said she has been sent almost 1000 emails, many of which were homophobic and transphobic. "This campaign is based on misinformation about a program designed to support & keep LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or intersex] kids safe at school," Ms Sharpe said.



"The ACL hides flimsily behind a veil of concern for children yet the emails sent to MPs are often homophobic & transphobic." ACL spokeswoman Wendy Francis said that while she supports anti-bullying programs, Safe Schools should be axed. She said the program links resources which advise girls how to bind their breasts and coaches young people about how to have anal sex. "I believe the programs as it is, [is] actually potentially damaging for children," Ms Francis said.

"I don't believe for a minute that any child should be bullied – but neither should we make the wallpaper around children's lives be completely sexual." She said in Queensland 11,000 people signed a petition calling for that State Government to cease the program. The ACL campaign flyer says Safe Schools program encourages cross-dressing, teaches students gay and lesbian techniques, encourages kids to use either girls or boys bathrooms and encourages girls to bind their chests. "It has been teaching students that heterosexuality is not the norm, and encouraging students to explore sexual and gender diversity," the flyer reads. But Safe Schools Coalition national program director Sally Richardson says while the program encourages children to wear uniforms and use bathrooms which matches their gender identity, there is no content which teaches sexual techniques or girls how to bind their chest.

She said the ACL had wrongly accused Safe Schools of including content which was not part of the program but on websites that the program had links to, including a site called Minus18. "It is disappointing that not everyone can understand why it is necessary to have positive inclusion of young people in schools," Ms Richardson said. "Safe Schools Coalition links to a number of organisations across the country and Minus18 is one of those, but Minus18 is a separate organisation that Safe Schools does not fund and we don't run it." She said the program had wide-ranging support, with 100 NSW schools signing up so far. Ms Richardson said it was an important program to maintain, especially with figures that showed 80 per cent of young LGBTI people had been bullied or harassed at school.

She also said 21 per cent of LGBTI students said they had missed class and eight per cent had dropped out of school altogether because of homophobic bullying. The Safe Schools Coalition program is federally funded and it is voluntary for schools to implement.