NSW Greens Education spokesperson and Adjunct Professor Tamara Smith MP, Member for Ballina, has today urged the Premier to back in LGBTIQA+ students and teachers in private schools by addressing an inadequacy of the Anti-discrimination Act that allows them to be discriminated against.

Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in NSW public schools is against the law. But in private schools’ teachers can lose their jobs if they are, or are thought to be, gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer, or if they are transgender or gender diverse.

The Greens welcome and will support the few but vital remaining reforms in the Equality Bill that has been introduced this week in the NSW Parliament by the Member for Sydney.

The most significant piece of reform for the 236,913 students and 38,029 teaching and non-teaching staff across the 426 private schools and 137 campuses in NSW, is - as of this morning, completely missing in action.

The Greens stand with the entire rainbow community, Equality Australia, the Independent Education Union, the Australian Education Union, the National Tertiary Education Union, the NSW Teachers Federation, the Australian Law Reform Commission, the United Nations, and the countless civil society organisations across Australia in calling for an end to laws in NSW that allow private schools to hire, fire, enrol, and expel because of a person’s sexuality.

Ms Smith said, “As a former secondary school teacher for 21 years it is very hard to believe that discrimination based on who you are as a teacher or student or staff member in a private school in this day and age is legal!”

“How do we have a two-tier system and justify that in NSW LGBTQIA+ teachers and students in private schools are regarded in law as second-class citizens?”

“This is not only legally and morally repugnant, but it sends a very clear message to students and teachers and staff both inside and outside of private schools who are not straight that their right to work and attend school free of discrimination can only occur at the discretion of their employer.” Said Ms Smith.

“We heard during the debate regarding conversion practices the terrible impact on LGBTQIA+ people of faith and how heartbreaking and soul destroying it was not just to have their identity vilified, denied, and discounted but how many lost trust in their faith community.”

“What kind of sick message are you sending to teachers and students in private schools that queerphobia is still ok in certain circumstances.”