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Tag Archives: sexuality

Expert criticises report on proposed changes to anti-discrimination laws – calls for more youth representation

RMIT University Media Release  

The Federal Government is negotiating how to implement the changes recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) report on anti-discrimination law reform, with a bill tabled in parliament late last week.

Professor Anna Hickey-Moody, expert in youth studies:

“A year later than anticipated, this report recommends Australia should ‘narrow the circumstances’ in which religious discrimination occurs, not outlaw discrimination.

“The proposed changes offer very little protection for same sex attracted youth in religious schools.

“Despite the fact that the ALRC state ‘students are at the centre of this inquiry’, the methods they have employed unfairly marginalise youth experiences.

“Over 40% of Australian secondary students attend religious schools.

“However, in assessing the impact of the current religious discrimination legislation, the ALRC spoke mainly to adults.

“They assessed 428 written submissions, only one of which was from a minor.

“The ALRC also undertook 131 interviews with consultees, all of whom were over 18.

“They included students in their survey – but they had over 2,5000 responses from adults in the sector and under 1,5000 responses from young people.

“How can this be seen as placing students ‘at the centre’?

“The voices and experiences of queer religious young people have been largely excluded from this process and this is a significant flaw in the process.”

Professor Anna Hickey-Moody is known for her work with socially marginalised people. She is currently undertaking an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant-funded project on the sexuality and religion of young people.

 

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Why This Post Is Not About Ian Thorpe Even Though A Lamb Roast Might Still Cost $100!

“As some of you may have guessed, I’m a practising heterosexual. Yeah, I don’t know why that would be of interest to anyone either, but I just thought I’d save Sir Michael Parkinson the trouble of asking me!”

My Facebook status last night.

 

I guess the trouble I have with the discussion about Thorpey’s big announcement is the idea that it’s a big announcement.

And the trouble I have with saying “Who cares?” is that it makes it sound like we’re dismissing something that would have been a difficult personal decision.

But I think that I most have a problem with the person I heard describe Ian Thorpe’s decision to reveal that he’s gay as “brave”.

Yep, good on him for coming out. But if we still regard this as brave, then that’s an indictment on us as a society. This just shows that we still have a long way to go. It should be of no more newsworthy than my pronouncement.

“Wow, Rossleigh, you’ve admitted to being straight – how brave of you!”

(Well, maybe a little bit more, given that more people have heard of him.)

But I guess that’s the difficulty. What’s the most supportive response from the public for him as individual? So what? or You’re really brave! And what implications does either have to the young teenager coming to terms with his or her own sexuality?

In a display of hypocrisy worthy of Tony Abbott, I’d like to suggest that the main issue of today shouldn’t be Thorpey’s sexuality. (Yes, so why am I writing about? Yes, yes, I know with a contradiction like this I could join Abbott’s front bench or take over Andrew Bolt’s job.)

There are more important things we should be talking about. Like the fact that Abbott said today in Parliament that unless the Carbon Tax is repealed lamb roasts could still hit $100 just as Barnaby predicted. (Actually, I think that it’s inevitable – eventually – even without the Carbon Tax)

Or even the fact that gay marriage is described as a needless distraction every time it’s brought up. (Well, just legalise it and it’d be less of a “distraction”…)

Or let’s just think about the way in which we perceive what’s important.

Stay awesome. Tell the truth. Be who you are.

Cheers.

 

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