Youth anger at school formal ban

Youth anger at school formal ban

Queer Melbourne youth group Minus18 has expressed anger at the banning of a Melbourne school girl from taking her girlfriend to the school formal.

Minus18 co-convenor Micah Scott told Southern Star Observer this morning, the incident was worrying.

“This is a confident young girl who has the support of her parents and has the support [to go to] the Equal Opportunity Commission and if someone has all that support, and can’t actually convince the school not to discriminate, then what hope does someone who isn’t as confident as her.”

“So while this is such a shocking story, I just can’t help but think about all those other kids who don’t have the confidence and how this example will affect them.”

The Age today reported 16-year-old Hannah Williams was forbidden by Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar to take her (then) 15-year-old girlfriend to the formal because she was asked by the school to bring a male.

The school argued the formal was about creating a co-educational environment for the female students.

Williams’ father lodged a complaint with the Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission, alleging discrimination against his daughter because of her sexual orientation.

The complaint went to mediation, however no resolution was found.

Williams has since changed schools to Swinburne Senior Secondary College, where she will now attend with her girlfriend.

Scott said the issue is a common one for same-sex attracted young people.

He said most commonly a student will quietly come out to a teacher and the teacher will try to encourage the student to keep their sexuality under wraps.

“A lot of teachers are aware that officially they can’t discriminate that blatantly, but we hear it all the time for a young person to be discouraged quite actively by the school.”

Scott said the incident highlights the need for more schools to join the Government-backed state anti-homophobia initiative, the Safe Schools Coalition.

“I’ve heard a couple of people say, why do we need an organisation that focuses on creating safe spaces in schools when schools are already safe?”

“I think this really highlights that young people are still discriminated against and how much that support is really needed.”

Minus18 will be in contact with Williams and her girlfriend to invite them to the next Minus18 dance event in December as honorary guests.

You May Also Like

8 responses to “Youth anger at school formal ban”

  1. Kathy- Sorry I meant to say the Greens are the only Party in power with no issue with our sexuality. ;-)

    The Sex Party also does not have an issue with our sexuality, and neither does the Democrats!

    Will- There is some really good policy coming out of Tasmania. The Greens in the coalition with Labor are restoring the Tasmanian economy. They even struck a deal that Logging Companies like.

    I ask Will what is the cost of discrimination and hate? How many gay bashing’s and suicides are a result of hate? How does funding those that hate us help all of us? The cost of discrimination is never pointed out. How much is a hospital admission. If look at the hate crime stats I see hate cost this country hundreds of millions of dollars.

    My first great love from High School was bashed to death simply for being gay. His death is never counted as a cost of hate but I can tell you it was a huge cost. Well over half a million dollars would of been spent on the police, the coroner, the ambulance, the funeral expenses, the family disruption, and more let alone the emotional toll.

    I guess to some political parties even when we are dead or seriously injured through hate crimes we do not count. That is good for the economy? I think not.

  2. Dave:

    Whilst not advocating voting for either major party, voting for the Greens is a formula for financial Armageddon.

    However, good luck.

  3. AR, have done so.

    Some other relevant address’:

    [email protected]

    Man responsible for the anaemic Act that failed these school girls.

    [email protected]

    Minister for education who claims an alliance via having an openly Gay son.

    Note that over $100million per annum goes to private schools through public funds at a State level.

  4. @Dave
    The Australian Sex Party is also in favour of equal rights for gays regarding status and marriage, as well as laws to protect Transgendered or Non Male/Female individuals from Gender discrimination.

    They plan to standardize the Australian sex laws based on age of consent to include homosexual sex and remove anti-sodomy laws in Tasmania.

    For those unwilling to Vote Greens due to their policies on climate change and billing, I strongly recommend you do some Research on the Australian Sex Party.

  5. The Greens are the only Party not seeking to oppress us. They are the only Party that has no issue with our sexuality. They are the only Party that wants us to be free.

    Despite all the reforms the Liberal and Labor Party say they have done, a girl cannot go to a school dance with her love.

    I want a tax refund from the Labor Party using my taxes to encourage hate of people like me, like us. How dare they, how dare the bastards treat us like that.

    We cannot let Gillard get away with this. She was the Education Minister responsible for private school funding. She did nothing when I wrote to her about Xavier High School in Albury, sending out a newsletter calling on all homosexuals to be removed from the face of the Earth, and our Prime Minister still encourages haters and gives them money, your money.

    Vote Green and get rid of the monsters.