Page 876 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 March 2016
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having this conversation every time in this place because of some of the disgusting and outrageous comments that are being made by some people in this country that are hurting people. It is exactly as Ms Burch has said—it is cruel. That is bullying; that is absolutely bullying, what is happening from our federal government. That is why this government will continue to affirm its support and affirm that there is nothing wrong with our children. It does not matter what your sexuality is.
We know that one in five lesbian, gay or bisexual Australians currently experience depression. This is more than triple the national rate. One in three from this community experience an anxiety-related condition. As many of us in this Assembly are aware, the Safe Schools Coalition Australia is a national coalition of schools dedicated to creating safe and inclusive learning environments for same-sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse students, staff and families.
I was reading on the safe schools web page just as we were having this conversation here about a parent describing her daughter’s transition in her school environment and how the safe schools program and psychologists had supported the school in being able to support that student as she transitioned by welcoming her into that school and explaining it in a way that was age appropriate to all the children and teachers and parents in that school so that that child could get through all of the anxiety she felt through this very difficult time that we could only ever imagine. It was only because of the Safe Schools Coalition that she was even going to school in the first place and getting an education and having a chance at some fairness and some dignity in her life. That is something the Safe Schools Coalition should be absolutely applauded for, and we will definitely continue to support the work they do in our schools here in the ACT and across the country.
The Safe Schools Coalition has rightly identified schools as the place where most homophobic and transphobic bullying takes place. Seventy-five per cent of these students experience abuse or discrimination; 80 per cent of that occurs in the school; and 81 per cent do not feel they are supported in their school. The statistics suggest that among teenage boys 40 per cent would not want a same-sex attracted person as a friend; 60 per cent had witnessed firsthand someone being bullied for their sexuality and a quarter of them believed calling someone a “homo” or a “dyke” is okay. Up to 80 per cent of LGBTIQ teens have experienced homophobic language at school, and one-quarter had experienced physical abuse at school, according to some studies. It is outrageous that we should be allowing this to happen to our kids.
Here in the ACT the government is committed to creating a fair society that is free from prejudice and bullying, a society which thrives on diversity, not merely survives. In the ACT the government works towards this goal by providing support and services to Canberra’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex and queer—LGBTIQ—communities, and this is part of the government’s commitment to Canberra as a socially and culturally inclusive community that celebrates its diversity and supports LGBTIQ Canberrans.
To date the ACT government has supported the ACT LGBTIQ community through assisting the council with the tender process for the LGBITQ sector funding, which has totalled over $330,000. The government is committed to continue to work with
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