A petition at Change.org calling for broadcaster Sky News to remove a report that targeted a teacher who is transgender has attracted over 1,300 signatures in just a few days.
Local man Dylan Green launched the petition after the broadcaster aired a report that named his friend who is a high school maths teacher, while also sharing where she could be found on social media.
The report said parents at St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls in Perth were upset that the school had employed teachers who were transgender and non-binary, and that students were expected to use pronouns that aligned with the teacher’s gender.
Speaking to OUTinPerth Dylan shared he started the petition because he felt the approach taken by Sky News crossed a line by targeted individual people.
“I was pretty angry at the injustice of it.” Green said. “The fearmongering. Average people watching that who might not know a trans person, or know the community, will see it and believe it.
“It’s pretty brazen.” Green said of the decision to include details of the teacher’s social media profile.
“Being publicly outed, publicly named, and her image shown, it’s disgusting and it’s dangerous.” he said. Green said the broadcaster should apologise and remove the report from their online platforms.
In the report from Sky News senior reporter Caroline Marcus Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart was also quoted, calling for the establishment of an Australian version of right-wing American lobby group Moms for America.
Sky News returned to the story on Sunday morning on the Outsiders program with hosts Rowan Dean, Rita Panahi and James Morrow praising Rinehart’s call for “wokeness” to be removed from school curriculums.
“Well done to Gina Rinehart, we need people of influence to push back against the woke insanity, particularly where it’s infecting children in schools.” Rowan Dean said.
James Morrow argued that insisting that students respect teacher’s pronouns would lead to other disciplinary problems.
“It creates this discipline issues for schools. We’ve seen other schools in Australia where students have used the rules around this to create all sorts of other disciplinary issues.” Morrow said. “The students can use this to challenge authority in other places.”
Later in the report Rowan Dean encouraged viewers to follow the social media accounts of activist Celine Baumgarten who recently made a video naming and showing photographs of a Victorian school teacher who runs an LGBTIQA+ club at the primary school she works at. The teacher’s social media accounts were also highlighted.
Baumgarten’s video has been removed following a takedown order from Australia’s E-Safety Commissioner. She is appealing the decision to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Transgender rights group says reporting threatens people’s safety
The Trans Justice Project has raised concern over the reporting, and the move to target individuals.
“Outing LGBTSBQIA+ people violates our privacy and threatens our safety. If a person chooses not to publicly disclose their gender identity or sexual orientation, journalists must respect that.” the group said.
“These US-style tactics of bullying and intimidation are dangerous, both for schools and LGBTSBIQA+ educators.”
“Responsible media reporting on trans issues is vital to the safety of our community. When journalism is ethical and effective, it can inform the public, dispel misinformation, and create an environment where trans people can thrive,” the Trans Justice Project said online.
