The LGBTIQ+ Leadership Group has published a Statement on the Education Legislation Amendment (parental Rights) Bill 2020, a Private members Bill proposed by Mark Latham from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party.
In publishing their statement, the LGBTIQ+ Leadership Group has joined professional bodies and LGBTQI+ community organisations in expressing grave concerns about the Bill.
The proposed legislation would deny young people, families, and school staff protection from discrimination, vilification, and abuse based on gender identity or intersex status. The Bill would prohibit school staff from providing gender-inclusive referrals and ban gender-inclusive diversity training. School staff could be punished or terminated for non-discriminatory practice. The Bill would undermine parental rights by denying parents the right to ensure safe, inclusive school environments for young people and discriminating against parents on the basis of their gender identity or intersex status.
It would also impact on counsellors and psychotherapists working in schools in NSW. The PACFA Code of Ethics requires members to respect diversity by providing sensitive, affirming, and non-discriminatory care that does not involve reparative or conversion therapies. For practitioners who work in NSW schools and who work to the PACFA Code of Ethics, adherence to the proposed legislation would require them to breach the Code of Ethics.
The Leadership Group’s Statement concludes by urging the NSW Government to stop the Bill, and to safeguard human rights protections for all members of school communities.
NSW Readers who share the LGBTQI+ Leadership Group’s concerns about the proposed Parental Rights Bill should write to their NSW Member of Parliament to highlight the important points made in the Statement and to ask the NSW Government and Opposition to oppose the Bill.
Download the LGBTQI+ Leadership Group Statement on Education Legislation Amendment Bill 2020
The LGBTQI+ Leadership Group leads the LGBTIQ+ Interest Group which was established by members of PACFA, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, the leading peak body for the psychotherapy and counselling profession in Australia.