WA Liberal senator Dean Smith has asked his colleagues to show greater empathy for LGBTI teens as debate over the Safe Schools Coalition goes into overdrive.
“What has been missing so far in some contributions has been empathy for those young Australians facing the real-life challenge of being in a sexual minority,” Mr Smith told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Mr Smith said his own experiences as a gay man possibly allowed him to have a greater understanding of the issue.
Conservative MPs have called for the $8-million program to be axed arguing that it promotes a Marxist ideology and encourages students to watch pornographic material.
Nationals MP George Christensen spoke in parliament earlier this week claiming that a LGBTIQ youth service that the Safe Schools Coaliton’s teaching resource recommends hand hyperlinks to other websites including some that includes sexual content.
Mr Christensen suggested the way that the educational program acted was similar to the way a pedophile grooms a child for sexual abuse.
The Foundation for Young Australians which coordinates the Safe Schools Coalition program has responded to Mr Christensen’s concerns describing them as “inaccurate” and “deeply hurtful”.
“These inaccurate claims about the Safe Schools Coalition Australia are disturbing and deeply hurtful to the young people this program works to support,” chief executive Jan Owen said.
“I am deeply saddened to see the barrage of abuse that has been given a platform through this ill-informed campaign to end Safe Schools.”
On Friday Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recommended that people should talk about the Safe Schools Coalition program in “very measured language”.
OIP Staff
