Should young Australian kids be learning about the sin of homosexual sex?
The Australian Christian Lobby is demanding the Queensland Government cease supporting a school based anti-bullying program for gay, intersex and gender diverse children, accusing it of promoting "radical sexual experimentation", by encouraging the acceptance of gender and sexual diverse children.
The Safe Schools Coalition Australia program was made available to Queensland schools from the start of the second semester this year.
The federally-funded program, which is also available in Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania, is not compulsory, with principals able to choose whether or not their school could benefit from it.
Building on a Victorian model, SSCA, which has been approved by the federal education department as a resource, addresses homophobia and transphobia within schools and is designed to make the school environment "more inclusive for same-sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse young people".
ACL's Queensland director Wendy Francis said the lobby's concerns were not with the program's aims, but how it went about achieving them.
"No one should be bullied at school, including children grappling with same-sex attraction or gender confusion," she said.
"But this program goes way beyond an anti-bullying program. Schools should be safe for all students. And children have the right to their innocence. This program tells teachers –'whatever the subject, try to work out ways to integrate gender diversity and sexual diversity across your curriculum.'
"Schools are also instructed to display prominent posters depicting same-sex relationships, transgenderism, bisexuality and intersexuality.
"The wallpaper of our children's lives should not be continually sexual."
Ms Francis said she believed the program promoted "radical sexual experimentation" in children by "encouraging cross dressing, unisex toilets ... and in some states, explicit sexual content".
The Safe Schools program provides tools on how to talk about gender diverse people through its 'uniform is not a gender' resource, advice on how a school can make an intersex or transsexual student feel comfortable and can make available an information pack for LGBTI students which discusses "penis-in-vagina sex" as "not the only sex, and certainly not the ultimate sex".
The program does suggest "raising awareness" by being "visible and getting the message out there", recommending principals "make your classroom and school inclusive by displaying materials that are positive and inclusive of same sex attracted and gender diverse young people" as a way of "kick starting" a "safe school".
The materials provided include a poster of smiling teenagers hugging with the slogan "OMG, my friend's queer" and "this is a discrimination free zone. Homophobia and transphobia will not be tolerated, K thanks" and "gender is not a uniform".
The program also seeks to promote acceptance by teaching children about the power of language, including using the phrase "that's gay" to describe something unpleasant.
But Ms Francis said current programs were enough.
"Experts say when it comes to bullying - never engage the issue – teach the child to block the bully ...help them deal with their distress and powerlessness, teach them how to block bullies and rebuild their social survival skills in order that they are not bullied again - anyone with kids can understand this," she said, citing body image as the main reason for bullying in schools.
"We need to target all bullying. If current bullying programs need more attention we need to do that for all bullying."
Vice-president of the Queensland Teachers' Union Sam Pidgeon said the QTU voted to support the program's use in Queensland at the last state conference, as a "national initiative dedicated to making schools safer and more inclusive for same-sex attracted intersex and gender diverse young people".
"We believe that every student, family and teacher in every school should have access to a safe and inclusive learning environment," she said.
"We welcome the opportunity for schools to opt in to this innovative, practical and successful program and access valuable resources for students, parents and professional development for teachers and support staff."
Education Minister Kate Jones said Labor made the decision to support Queensland's inclusion in the federal program in response to "requests from teachers and principals " during the election campaign.
"Principals, in consultation with their school community, are best placed to determine what kinds of resources suit the needs of their school. Use of the Safe Schools Coalition resource is entirely voluntary and at the discretion of principals," she said.
"Our election commitment will ensure Queensland schools have access to the same resources available in the ACT, NSW, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. It means schools will have access to a resource that promotes safety and inclusiveness."
In its petition, the ACL calls for the state government to "immediately cease this program which promotes radical sexual experimentation from Queensland schools".
It also refers to program materials used in Victoria, Ms Francis said did not get through the parliamentary filter, as they use the words 'penis' and vagina', but are not part of the Queensland program.
The Safe Schools Coalition Australia program was made available to Queensland schools from the start of the second semester this year.
The federally-funded program, which is also available in Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania, is not compulsory, with principals able to choose whether or not their school could benefit from it.
Building on a Victorian model, SSCA, which has been approved by the federal education department as a resource, addresses homophobia and transphobia within schools and is designed to make the school environment "more inclusive for same-sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse young people".
ACL's Queensland director Wendy Francis said the lobby's concerns were not with the program's aims, but how it went about achieving them.
"No one should be bullied at school, including children grappling with same-sex attraction or gender confusion," she said.
"But this program goes way beyond an anti-bullying program. Schools should be safe for all students. And children have the right to their innocence. This program tells teachers –'whatever the subject, try to work out ways to integrate gender diversity and sexual diversity across your curriculum.'
"Schools are also instructed to display prominent posters depicting same-sex relationships, transgenderism, bisexuality and intersexuality.
"The wallpaper of our children's lives should not be continually sexual."
Ms Francis said she believed the program promoted "radical sexual experimentation" in children by "encouraging cross dressing, unisex toilets ... and in some states, explicit sexual content".
The Safe Schools program provides tools on how to talk about gender diverse people through its 'uniform is not a gender' resource, advice on how a school can make an intersex or transsexual student feel comfortable and can make available an information pack for LGBTI students which discusses "penis-in-vagina sex" as "not the only sex, and certainly not the ultimate sex".
The program does suggest "raising awareness" by being "visible and getting the message out there", recommending principals "make your classroom and school inclusive by displaying materials that are positive and inclusive of same sex attracted and gender diverse young people" as a way of "kick starting" a "safe school".
The materials provided include a poster of smiling teenagers hugging with the slogan "OMG, my friend's queer" and "this is a discrimination free zone. Homophobia and transphobia will not be tolerated, K thanks" and "gender is not a uniform".
The program also seeks to promote acceptance by teaching children about the power of language, including using the phrase "that's gay" to describe something unpleasant.
But Ms Francis said current programs were enough.
"Experts say when it comes to bullying - never engage the issue – teach the child to block the bully ...help them deal with their distress and powerlessness, teach them how to block bullies and rebuild their social survival skills in order that they are not bullied again - anyone with kids can understand this," she said, citing body image as the main reason for bullying in schools.
"We need to target all bullying. If current bullying programs need more attention we need to do that for all bullying."
Vice-president of the Queensland Teachers' Union Sam Pidgeon said the QTU voted to support the program's use in Queensland at the last state conference, as a "national initiative dedicated to making schools safer and more inclusive for same-sex attracted intersex and gender diverse young people".
"We believe that every student, family and teacher in every school should have access to a safe and inclusive learning environment," she said.
"We welcome the opportunity for schools to opt in to this innovative, practical and successful program and access valuable resources for students, parents and professional development for teachers and support staff."
Education Minister Kate Jones said Labor made the decision to support Queensland's inclusion in the federal program in response to "requests from teachers and principals " during the election campaign.
"Principals, in consultation with their school community, are best placed to determine what kinds of resources suit the needs of their school. Use of the Safe Schools Coalition resource is entirely voluntary and at the discretion of principals," she said.
"Our election commitment will ensure Queensland schools have access to the same resources available in the ACT, NSW, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. It means schools will have access to a resource that promotes safety and inclusiveness."
In its petition, the ACL calls for the state government to "immediately cease this program which promotes radical sexual experimentation from Queensland schools".
It also refers to program materials used in Victoria, Ms Francis said did not get through the parliamentary filter, as they use the words 'penis' and vagina', but are not part of the Queensland program.