THE Religious Discrimination Bill has caused harm and will give rise to further bullying of religious and non-religious LGBTQIA+ students and teachers, says a Mallee equality advocate.
The new Religious Discrimination Bill passed the House of Representatives early yesterday following amendments to the Sexual Discrimination Act to ensure gay and transgender students were protected.
Amendments were made when Liberal MPs crossed the floor to join Labor and independent MPs after opponents of the Bill said it would allow people to make discriminatory statements of belief about another person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
However, the Bill faced an uncertain future after the ABC reported that Coalition sources confirmed the government would not put the Bill for debate when Senate next sits in March.
Mallee Pride member Tania*, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said the discussion about the Religious Discrimination Bill had already impacted the LGBTQIA+ community and further marginalised vulnerable people.
“Every time you say transgender on the news, without support and in a positive light, and bringing that community up, and educating, you are doing harm,” Tania said.
Mallee Pride is a group of people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and their allies, which provides community events, training and advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Tania, who has previously taught in the Mildura area, said the Australian Government had sent messages to gay and lesbian, transgender and intersex students and teachers of faith that they did not belong.
“All they’re doing is doing more harm and justifying bullying to a part of the community that has had enough harm done to them with the (gay marriage) plebiscite,” she said.
“The government is trying to push through a Bill to protect people’s faith, which is their choice. We need to protect people who do not have a choice.
“This Bill should just be scrapped.”
LGBTQIA+ people were two-and-a-half times more likely to suffer with a mental health condition than non-LGBTQIA+ people in the preceding 12 months, and five times more likely to attempt suicide, according to April 2021 data from LGBTQIA+ Australia. Transgender youth were 15 times more likely to attempt suicide.
Tania said she was disappointed by Member for Mallee Anne Webster’s recent comments on ABC Mildura-Swan Hill’s breakfast program.
“From her comments on the ABC this week, she seems to have limited understanding of the lives of LGBTQIA+ people in her community.”
Dr Webster said a statement of belief was allowable if it did not bring harm, but Tania questioned whether Dr Webster understood the extent to which the LGBTQIA+ community was exposed to negative commentary in schools.
She said she would welcome Dr Webster attending Mallee Pride meetings to introduce her to a “wealth of diversity in sexuality, culture and faith in her community”.
Dr Webster said the Federal Government and the LGBTQIA+ community were “on the same page” when it came to protecting gay and transgender youth.
“This is ultimately about religious freedom including freedom of faith in schools, which we want to do while also protecting the LGBTQI community,” Dr Webster said.
She said lobby groups for the LGBTQIA+ community were “misinformed and creating a lot of fear”.
“People who say religious people can have their faith but just be quiet about it show a real lack of understanding of religious identity.”
St Joseph’s College Mildura principal Marg Blythman said her school, which instituted a gender identity policy in 2020, was an “all-inclusive faith community”.
“We acknowledge that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and created with love,” Ms Blythman said. “All genders, sexualities are therefore respected, accepted and welcome in the St Joseph’s College community.”
While Dr Webster highlighted the protection this Bill might offer to the Jewish and Muslim communities, some religious communities have opposed the Bill.
The Hindu Council said there was unspoken pressure on Hindu workers joining Christian businesses, while the Uniting Church said on social media, the Bill “privileges powerful religious voices at the expense of minority and vulnerable voices”.
“The trans young people, trans ministers and LGBTQIA+ Christians who are all full members of our church are feeling very vulnerable right now.”
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