In what is some really, really bad timing for the government the Sydney Morning Herald reported on leaked sections of the much discussed and entirely-not-released Review into Religious Freedom and it’s obvious why they’ve chosen to sit on the thing for almost half a year.
After all, when you’ve got a contentious by election threatening your parliamentary majority and a federal election around the corner it’s probably not a great idea to got to the voters saying “we reckon we should kick the gay kids out of private schools.”
The federal cabinet are arguing over the report behind closed doors, but according to the SMH, “Religious schools would be guaranteed the right to turn away gay students and teachers under changes to federal anti-discrimination laws.” And in Australia there are precious few private schools not in some way affiliated with religious organisations.
https://twitter.com/literatelipstik/status/1049790748147638273
You’ll recall that the inquiry was commissioned in the wake of the passage of same sex marriage in Australia and chaired by former Liberal MP, current Mayor of Hornsby Shire and former Senator for Naboo, Philip Ruddock.
The announcement of the inquiry was largely seen less as a good faith attempt to allay fears of religious people being silenced and more as a sop to those sections of the parliament who felt angry that they couldn’t discriminate against gay people in the way that they had previously been able.
And it’s unlikely that those figures will be satisfied with a report which, among other things, rejects the idea that businesses should be able to reject service to gay people. You know, all those bakers and florists which were apparently going to be forced at gaypoint to provide services for people’s weddings? The ones which were talked about a lot but showed no sign of actually existing? Those ones.
I was a gay student at a religious school. My partner is a gay teacher. This bullshit affects real people's lives.
— David Donaldson (@davidadonaldson) October 9, 2018
Variations on such laws already exist in several states – well, NSW private schools can expel kids for being gay, but it’s less clear cut in other states – but the recommendation is that this be standardised across the nation.
However, there’s a weird prelude to the recommendation: “To the extent that this can be done in the context of appropriate safeguards for the rights and mental health of the child, the panel accepts their right to select, or preference, students who uphold the religious convictions of that school community.”
How exactly the rights and mental health of children are safeguarded by being denied an education wasn’t made clear, but presumably Ol’ Ruddsy will clear that up.
My personal opinion: I would really, really hate to see an election fought on our existing anti discrimination laws (which I believe there is zero appetite in parl to change) re: LGBTIQ people.
LGBTIQ ppl don't win this public debate, and sometimes we don't survive it.
— Sally Rugg (@sallyrugg) October 9, 2018
And given that we’re less than a fortnight from a by election in Wentworth, the electorate that contains Oxford Street and turned in one of the nation’s highest Yes votes on the same sex marriage postal survey, where the Liberals are at risk of losing their safe seat to an out and proud lesbian in Dr Kerryn Phelps, this might not have been the greatest possible time to start this public discussion on how difficult this government feels life should be made for gay people.