Aussie ‘safe schools’ leader admits program is about gay activism, not bullying
Undercover video recorded at the 2014 Safe Schools Coalition National Symposium has exposed as a lie the claim that the program is about helping students stand up to bullying in schools.
The symposium was a launch event for the contentious Safe
Schools programme, which has come under sustained attack during its
existence. Ostensibly a programme to protect gay and transgender school
students from bullies, critics such as MP George Christensen have referred to it as “Queer theory being
taught in the classroom.”
Released on the National Day Of Action
Against Bullying And Violence, the video shows Coordinator of
Safe Schools Coalition Victoria, Roz Ward, addressing the audience. She
says “Safe Schools Coalition is about supporting gender and sexual diversity.
Not about celebrating diversity. Not about stopping bullying. About gender and
sexual diversity.”
The source of the video recording spoke exclusively to
LifeSiteNews, requesting anonymity for fear of retribution. He says, “I
didn't review my footage carefully enough to begin with, and so I didn't realise
I was sitting on a bombshell for 18 months.” The resurgence of the issue
in the media prompted him to go through the footage again. Speaking of
the moment of realisation of what he had recorded, he says, “I was shocked
because I didn’t think someone well organized on the political left would be so
clumsy as to make a statement like that and expose their true agenda.”
Fear of retribution towards those opposing the programme is not
unfounded. Supporters of the scheme lashed out
today with a
violent protest at Senator Cory Bernardi’s office
just before it was formally announced that the government was cutting out huge
sections of the programme. The Safe Schools Coalition organisation would
have to accept these changes if they were to continue receiving federal
funding. They are presently reviewing the government report.
Christensen, speaking to ABC News, said “essentially we're
gutting most of the bad content that actually these people wanted to remain in
place.” Shadow minister for education, Kate Ellis, responded along the
bully line stating, “How do we expect any student in the school yard to stand
up to bullies if Australia's own Prime Minister (Turnbull) can not stand up to
the bullies within the fringe of his own party.” The “fringe” that Ellis was
referring to is in fact the majority of the coalition government members who,
according to Christensen, have signed his petition for the Safe Schools
Coalition to be defunded.
Both Christensen and Senator Cory Bernardi have
been pushing for a full parliamentary inquiry into the programme with all
funding to be suspended pending the outcome.
The Victorian state government has indicated it
will make up for any federal funding cuts to the Safe Schools Coalition
programme. If this promise of funding is fulfilled, it would negate the
need to abide by the latest cuts to the scope and content of the programme.
