Julia Gillard has taken further steps to cement homophobia in Australia, with a promise that religious institutes can still discriminate against the LGBT population and others they deem as ‘sinners’.

The head of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), Jim Wallace, confirmed that Gillard made promises to keep current laws, whereby faith based organisations including schools and hospitals can decline hiring ‘sinners’ who might restrict the freedom of religion.

With the Catholic Church serving as one of the big employers in Australia, this law could potentially impede the hiring of thousands of Australian citizens. Jim Wallace assures that it is not a case of vetting people –

‘It’s a case of looking for people in employment of staff who represent your same philosophy of the organisation that’s employing them.

‘I’ve got to tell you, there’s not too many environmental groups that employ someone who’s an ardent logger, for instance.’

Attorney General Nicola Roxon, who tabled changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act, recently stated that religious exemptions to anti-discrimination laws regarding employment will remain under the Labor proposal.

Also fronting the Anti Discrimination Act, Christian and openly gay Senator Penny Wong, stated that Labor was ‘seeking to balance the existing law and the practice of religious exemptions with the principle of non-discrimination’.

The Independent member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich has spoken up against Gillard, stating that current laws protect those who discriminate rather than those who are discriminated against, and creates a ‘breeding ground for homophobia’.

‘Such discrimination contributes to serious financial hardship, health, mental health impacts of those affected’, he said.

Read our previous story on this topic

Proposed Consolidation of Discrimination Laws 10/12/12

Nadine Walker