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Anglican Church Grammar School bans gay partners at formal

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Anthony Venn-Brown
 
Joined in 2005
April 13, 2008, 09:14

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23525256-2,00.html


Robyn Ironside


April 12, 2008 01:35am

Article from: The Courier-Mail


* Exclusive school bans gay partners at formal

* Say senior students must bring girls

* Issue of sexual discrimination arises


ONE of Queensland’s most prestigious boys schools has told final-year students they can’t take their gay partners to the senior formal.


Several students at Churchie – the Anglican Church Grammar School – have made it known they want to escort boyfriends to the June 19 formal, but the school is insisting they take a member of the opposite sex.


Churchie headmaster Jonathan Hensman said none of the students had approached him directly, but a staff member had raised the issue on their behalf.


“The senior dinner dance is an opportunity for our young men to escort a young woman in a formal school environment,” Mr Hensman said.


“We don’t intend to change our practice. As well as being a social occasion, it’s an education forum and to that end the school decides what is appropriate behaviour and what is not.”


Mr Hensman said the issue had not “formally” arisen in the past, that he could recall, but the question was not unexpected given “the changing times”.


“Not all students take their girlfriends. Some take a female friend. It’s about protocols and decorums,” he said.


But Mr Hensman said if any of Churchie’s seniors approached him formally, he would consider taking the request to the school council.


State schools made their own decisions on guidelines for school formals, a Queensland Education spokesman said.


Queensland’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Susan Booth said sexuality discrimination was unlawful, and that applied to private and public schools as well as other organisations.


However, Churchie is not alone in its stand against same-sex couples attending school formals, with Queensland Catholic Education Executive Director Mike Byrne saying their schools would not allow it either.


Mr Byrne said Catholic schools were committed to modelling behaviours in keeping with the values and principles of a Catholic institution.


“As such we would not see it as appropriate for couples in a same-sex relationship to attend an event such as a school formal,” he said.


“Where young people are concerned, there are often matters associated with sexuality and relationships – both heterosexual and homosexual – where schools provide a range of support services for students.”


Although Ms Booth could not comment specifically on the Churchie case because it was “a potential complaint”, the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner said schools should not treat students differently on the basis of their sexuality.


“What we hope is that there can be a discussion about the issue, that’s what happens in the commission, and that’s where we hope the matter can be sorted out.”


The Queensland Education spokesman said schools “consider the Inclusive Education policy when planning a range of activities, including school formals . . . and that requires schools to foster learning environments where all students are valued for their diverse backgrounds”.


Queensland University of Technology School of Justice lecturer Dr Angela Dwyer said Churchie’s stand on the issue of same-sex formal partners would be “devastating” to those involved.


“We’re talking about someone’s identity here. The way that they feel and the way that they express themselves is basically being squashed by the school,” said Dr Dwyer, who is writing a research paper on “How queer young people are policed”.


Another expert on sexuality and education, Iain Hay from the University of Canberra, said it would be very stressful for gay students prepared to come out in front of their peers, to then be told it was “inappropriate”.



Desperate4Truth
 
Joined in 2008
April 13, 2008, 10:11

OH MY GOD!! How can this be anything BUT discrimination!?!?!?!


Here’s what you do, pair up all the lesbians and gay guys together to get in the door. Their with the opposite sex right?? Then as soon as they get in, switch dates!!!


That makes me so ANGRY!!!! 👿 😡



Shantih Shantih Shantih
 
Joined in 2008
April 13, 2008, 12:55

Bah! Decorum! What nerve! As unlikely as this issue is to affect me, I can be nothing but incensed at that remark.


‘Cos obviously, GLBTI people cannot possibly have a sense of decorum! 😡



Desperate4Truth
 
Joined in 2008
April 13, 2008, 13:27

Dont you know if they let “the gay” come to the party, the whole soiree would be ruined!?!? I mean the entire event would be nothing but rainbow flags, body paint, glitter and techno music! You know at least one of the gay men will want to come in drag, and dont even get me started on the promiscuous sex they’ll all be having in the bathroom. I mean, come on people! This is just common knowledge!!!


😡 😕 😡 😕 😡 😕



Anthony Venn-Brown
 
Joined in 2005
April 13, 2008, 13:57

Bah! Decorum! What nerve! As unlikely as this issue is to affect me, I can be nothing but incensed at that remark.


‘Cos obviously, GLBTI people cannot possibly have a sense of decorum! 😡


as usual LMAO…….you know so well one of our cultural traits…… 😆 ….and at such a young age…….and only days out as a young gay man.



Anthony Venn-Brown
 
Joined in 2005
April 13, 2008, 13:58

Dont you know if they let “the gay” come to the party, the whole soiree would be ruined!?!? I mean the entire event would be nothing but rainbow flags, body paint, glitter and techno music! You know at least one of the gay men will want to come in drag, and dont even get me started on the promiscuous sex they’ll all be having in the bathroom. I mean, come on people! This is just common knowledge!!!


😡 😕 😡 😕 😡 😕


looks like we really riled you up today John…….come on now……breath deeply…… 😆 😆 😆



Desperate4Truth
 
Joined in 2008
April 14, 2008, 03:41

LOL!!! 😆 Awwwww! Sorry! I was actually trying to be funny. 😯


Sorry if that sounded angry… OH! Its because of the Emoticons!!! I should have put happy laughy ones!! LOL!! 😆 😆


so its… 😀 😆 😀 😆


Not… 😡 😕 😡 😕


HA HA HA HA HA !!! 😆



orfeo
 
Joined in 2007
April 14, 2008, 13:49

Hmmm… if any of the students have the knowledge and guts to make a formal complaint to the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, this has the potential to become a big, big deal.


Anti-discrimination laws tend to give religious schools exemptions for the employment of staff, but when it comes to students it’s a whole new ball game.


And if this IS officially found to be discrimination… be prepared for a lot of noise from Christian groups.



Anthony Venn-Brown
 
Joined in 2005
April 18, 2008, 08:07

LOL!!! 😆 Awwwww! Sorry! I was actually trying to be funny. 😯


Sorry if that sounded angry… OH! Its because of the Emoticons!!! I should have put happy laughy ones!! LOL!! 😆 😆


so its… 😀 😆 😀 😆


Not… 😡 😕 😡 😕


HA HA HA HA HA !!! 😆


Got it. It wasn’t actually a criticism either…….just an observation. 😀


Sometimes…..because of time constraints…..I scan…..and that doesn’t always help. 😥



magsdee
Disabled
Joined in 2006
April 18, 2008, 14:00

Thursday April 17, 09:23 AM

School formal gay couple ban ‘illegal’


Authorities say it would be unlawful for New South Wales schools to follow a top Brisbane boys’ school’s lead in barring gay couples from its formal.


Opinion is divided in Queensland over the decision by Anglican Church Grammar School, or ‘Churchie’, to knock back a gay student’s request to bring a male partner to the school formal.


The director of student welfare at the NSW Education Department, David McKay, has told ABC’s NewsRadio schools in the state would be acting unlawfully if they tried to bar gay couples from school events.


“The department has to follow the anti-discrimination legislation,” he said.


“We would again be saying if that was an issue in a school, then a decision not to allow that would probably be unlawful under the anti-discrimination legislation.”


The department says it is trying to encourage teachers to do more to rid schools of homophobia.


Its director-general, Michael Coutts-Trotter, yesterday addressed the That’s So Gay conference on sexual diversity, which looked at strategies to deal with homophobia and sexual diversity in schools.


Mr Coutts-Trotter says gay students and children from same-sex couples must not feel isolated while they are at school.


“What we are interested in doing is banning discrimination in all its forms within our schools, especially homophobia…” he said.


“Some people, not many, have two mums or two dads.


“They are all families, they are all places where children need to feel secure and loved.


“It is our job to respect and work with the children and young people and the families that come into our schools, no matter their shape or size.”


He has rejected a reported push for teachers to stop using gender-specific terms, such as ‘husband’, ‘wife’, ‘boyfriend’, ‘girlfriend’ and ‘spouse’, and replace them with the word, ‘partner’.


Mr Coutts-Trotter says the report in today’s Daily Telegraph is “just silly”.


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