Not everyone can rely on their parents to teach them about LGBTI issues. Meanwhile, mental health experts warn LGBTI people are at a far greater risk of self-harm and suicide than their peers. Given this, in 2014, the Abbott government launched the Safe Schools Coalition - an initiative conceived under the previous Labor government to stop the bullying of LGBTI students (who make up at least 10 per cent of the school population). But the atmosphere around Safe Schools has become increasingly febraged (febrile and outraged) in recent weeks. At a meeting of Coalition MPs on Tuesday, Cory Bernardi told his colleagues that children were being "prematurely sexualised" by the program, which he also described as having a "Marxist agenda". There has been no shortage of other backbenchers - such as Jo Lindgren, Andrew Nikolic, Andrew Hastie and Luke Simpkins - to back Bernardi up with similar concerns.

Conservative Turnbull government senator Cory Bernardi. News Corp columnist Angela Shanahan has decried the "radical form of sex education that promotes a fluid gender ideology", while the Australian Christian Lobby have worried about "bullying in reverse" (against heterosexual kids). To top it off, Conservative MP George Christensen used a speech on Thursday to liken Safe Schools to "paedophile grooming". In amongst this have been specific claims that Safe Schools is asking 11 year olds to "imagine themselves in a sexualised, or hypersexualised environment". There is also the much repeated claim that the program "teaches" girls to bind their chests and provides "instructions" on genital tucking. Safe Schools hasn't been going long enough for a study which examines the impact of policies, strategies and actions on any group of people. The end result? Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered a review of the materials. It will report to Education Minister Simon Birmingham in mid-March.

The review has given credence to the panic. If the Prime Minister and the Education Minister - who are two of the most progressive members of the government - are looking into it, surely there must be something awry. All of which begs the question, why do we need an official review for something that could be sorted out with some basic internet research? But how many concerned citizens and MPs have actually looked at the material Safe Schools promotes? The major Safe Schools resource is "All of Us", which is eight lessons designed for year seven and eight students as part of their health and physical education studies. The activity that is supposed to sexualise 11 year-olds is called "stepping out". It divides the room into halves, one group is asked to imagine they are a 16 year-old going out with someone of the opposite sex. The other group is told to imagine they are with someone of the same sex. They are asked a series of questions like "could you invite your partner home to meet your family?" At the end, students compare who was more/ less comfortable as a way of putting themselves in other people's shoes.

Videos that accompany the lessons profile young LGBTI people and their experiences dealing with their identities, families and friends. Jaimee says she asked herself if she was "allowed to feel that way" when she realised she was a lesbian. Michael, who is gay, advises that if a friend comes out to you, it is not because they are attracted to you, it is because "he trusts you". They are touching, honest and G-rated. The rest of the lessons tackle issues like how sexuality and gender can be defined in different ways and how saying things like "homework is so gay" can be hurtful to gay and lesbian people. If there is an overriding theme, it is that LGBTI teenagers share many of the same fears and interests as their straight peers (i.e. everyone calm down). And there is nothing in the Safe Schools material that is explicit or that instructs kids on what to do with boobs or penises they might not want. This issue has arisen because of a different organisation, Minus18, which is a youth-led network for LGBTI teens. On its own website, it has a 40 page booklet called OMG I'm Trans, which contains (less than a page) of advice on breast binding and penis tucking and how to do it safely.

Yes, Minus18 is an affiliate and supporter of Safe Schools and its website and logo are prominently displayed in teaching materials. But binding and tucking are not part of the program. And the booklet is providing the information to a specific group of young people who are looking for specific advice. All of which begs the question, why do we need an official review for something that could be sorted out with some basic internet research? Underlying the criticism of Safe Schools is the insidious idea there is something wrong or harmful about teaching young people about identities other than heterosexuality. Because, it follows, there is something wrong or harmful about being LGBTI. While this makes many of the adults involved look ignorant and intolerant, unfortunately they are not the ones who lose out. The ones who cop it are especially vulnerable young people who have already been identified as needing our support.

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