Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi suggested Liberal senator Eric Abetz “come out of the 19th century” and embrace a modern understanding of sexuality and gender.
The interchange between the two parliamentarians occurred on Monday night’s edition of the ABC program Q&A where author Jo Hirst asked the Liberal senator if Victoria’s election landslide in favour of the Labor party might see the Liberal party begin to treat transgender children with respect.
Senator Abetz said he had genuine concerns about which bathrooms a transgender child would use in schools and it was a view shared by many parents.
“If we look at it objectively, what toilet, what shower facility does that child then use, and is it appropriate, for example, and this is a real possibility, where you could have, at a high school, a prepubescent girl being required to share bathroom and shower facilities with a bloke that’s shaving?” Senator Abetz asked.
“I don’t think that is appropriate for children. And that is the reality, and many mums and dads are genuinely concerned about that. And I share their concerns.”
Senator Faruqi said Abetz was living in the past.
“I cannot believe that I’m sitting here hearing this in 2018. Eric, you need to come out of the 19th century and start listening to people.” Senator Faruqi said.
The Greens MP said it was not surprising given the Prime Minister vote against marriage equality, his tweets about ‘gender whisperers’ and his lack of opposition to gay conversion therapy.
Panelist Tom Switzer said he believed schools should focus on teaching children English and Mathematics and explaining transgender people was a task best left to parents.
Labor’s Doug Cameron said he disagreed and schools should be a place that taught students about all parts of society.
“School is not the old machine, you know, to just churn out people to go and work for the boss. School should be better than that. School should be actually building a good society. And I think giving people a proper education in a whole range of areas is an important issue. I mean, this old, “It’s just about maths and English” – what an old-fashioned idea.” Cameron said.
Yasmin Poole, who was the ‘people’s panelist’ on the program said there was a clearly a generational difference on the issue of transgender people.
“We aren’t afraid of these terms like transgender, like being gender fluid, these associated issues, we’re really not afraid of it. At the end of the day, like I said, it’s about awareness and it’s about openness and it’s about acceptance.” Poole said.
OIP Staff
