Schools need to be ‘sensitive to the wishes and needs of all students’, the WA Education Minister Elizabeth Constable has said.

Last month, more than 40 past and present students of St Mary’s Anglican Girls School launched an online campaign to allow same-sex attracted girls to take their partners to school formals, the Sunday times reported.

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Former St Mary’s student and campaigner Janey Hakanson graduated in 2002 and was told then that it would be ‘inappropriate’ to take same-sex partners to the school formal.

‘My experience was myself and a group of other girls wanted to take other girls to the year 12 ball – some as partners and some as friends,’ the 26 year-old told OUTinPerth.

‘Any kind of discussion that we can begin by this is great… it definitely was not meant to come across as targeting one school or one student; it’s a much broader issue.’

WA Equal Opportunity Commissioner Yvonne Henderson said schools were not allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and were not exempt from the Equal Opportunity Act 1984.

‘Sexual Orientation discrimination in the area of education is unlawful under the Act,’ Henderson said.

The Commissioner said ‘less favourable treatment’ like being refused a service on the grounds of sexual orientation was ‘direct discrimination’. However, the Commissioner also said there were certain exemptions in place for religious bodies.

WA Minister for Education Elizabeth Constable said she would be ‘very concerned’ if the Equal Opportunity Act had been breached.

‘My personal view is that schools need to be sensitive to the wishes and needs of all students,’ Constable said.

‘School balls should be inclusive, positive and fun experiences for all students.
‘I would be very concerned if anyone was breaching the Equal Opportunities Act.’

But Gay and Lesbian Equality (GALE) WA co-convener Kitty Hawkins said schools had an obligation to ensure there students were well looked after, regardless of the religious dogma they may adhere to.

‘As far as I’m concerned, if you’re receiving government funds, then you should be subject to the exact same rules as everyone else,’ Hawkins said.

‘Being able to take your same-sex partner to the formal is just the tip of the iceberg.’
‘It’s a part of the being treated the same way as any other students; its about not being told that you’re sexuality or who you want or who you love is inappropriate or second best’.

‘I don’t think St Mary’s is an isolated case and I’d really like to emphasise that the campaign is not about targeting St Mary’s.’

Hawkins, who graduated from Perth College in 2003, said her school had a similar policy in place when she had graduated.

‘This whole thing, as far as I’m concerned, is more about schools being able to provide safe environments for LGBTI students.’

St Mary’s Anglican Girls School declined to comment.

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