Push To Rewrite Queensland’s Anti-Discrimination Laws To Protect LGBT Students, Teachers In Religious Schools

The Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC) has recommended an overhaul of the state’s three-decade old anti-discrimination laws to protect vulnerable groups, including LGBTQI students and employees in religious schools. 

The recommendations have come months after Brisbane’s Citipointe Christian College issued anti-LGBTQI student enrolment and staff employee contracts. The school subsequently withdrew the contracts after a public outcry.

“It has been over 30 years since the Goss Government introduced Queensland’s Anti-Discrimination Act. At the time, the legislation was ground-breaking, but three decades on our society is a different place with different values,” Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman said in a statement. 

Protecting LGBTQI Students, Teachers

The Minister tabled the 122 recommendations made by QHRC in Parliament. The report focuses on a more proactive approach to prevent discrimination and sexual harassment. 

The Attorney General pointed out that the QHRC has recommended ” “strengthening protections” for the LGBTQI community.

“The actions of Citipointe Christian College at the start of this year highlighted the importance of having specific protections for LGBTIQ+ students and staff at religious schools,” the Minister said

“This report recommends reforms that will mean LGBTIQ+ students and staff feel safe in religious schools, while still protecting religious freedoms.”

Teachers Forced To Hide their Sexuality and Gender Identity

LGBTQI advocacy groups have welcomed the report and have called on the Annastacia Palaszczuk led Labor government to implement all the recommendations. 

“Even today, LGBTQ+ teachers in religious schools in Queensland may be forced to hide their sexuality or gender identity in order to keep their jobs,” Ghassan Kassisieh, Legal Director, Equality Australia, said in a statement.  

“In delivering this landmark report, the Queensland Human Rights Commission has outlined a clear blueprint to the Queensland Government for fixing these outdated ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ provisions.” 

Morgan Carpenter, Executive Director of Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA), said that the Commission’s proposals to protect people with intersex variations from discrimination on grounds of sex characteristics, was a step in the right direction. 

According to Jeremy Wiggins, Executive Officer of Transcend, the Commission’s recommendation for an inclusive definition that covers gender identity, will ensure that “all trans and gender diverse people, including non-binary people, are protected from discrimination.” 

The Attorney General said that the government would consider the report and the recommendations.