A Queensland prestigious boys school has told final-year students they can't take their gay partners to the senior graduation.
Gay students at Churchie - the Anglican Church Grammar School - want to escort their boyfriends to the school's formal on June 19, but the school is insisting they must take a female partner.
The school's headmaster Jonathan Hensman said none of the students had spoken to him directly, but a staff member had raised the issue on their behalf.
...we would not see it as appropriate for couples in a same-sex relationship to attend an event such as a school formal
"The senior dinner dance is an opportunity for our young men to escort a young woman in a formal school environment," Mr Hensman said.
"We don't intend to change our practice. As well as being a social occasion, it's an education forum and to that end the school decides what is appropriate behaviour and what is not."
Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Susan Booth said sexuality discrimination was unlawful, and that applied to private and public schools as well as other organisations.
The Anglican Church is not alone in its stand against same-sex couples attending school formals, with Queensland Catholic Education Executive Director Mike Byrne saying their schools would not allow it either.
Mr Byrne said Catholic schools were committed to modelling behaviours in keeping with the values and principles of a Catholic institution.
"As such we would not see it as appropriate for couples in a same-sex relationship to attend an event such as a school formal," he said.
"Where young people are concerned, there are often matters associated with sexuality and relationships - both heterosexual and homosexual - where schools provide a range of support services for students."
Although Ms Booth could not comment specifically on the Churchie case because it was "a potential complaint", the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner said schools should not treat students differently on the basis of their sexuality.
"What we hope is that there can be a discussion about the issue, that's what happens in the commission, and that's where we hope the matter can be sorted out."
Queensland University of Technology School of Justice lecturer Dr Angela Dwyer said Churchie's stand on the issue of same-sex formal partners would be "devastating" to those involved.
"We're talking about someone's identity here. The way that they feel and the way that they express themselves is basically being squashed by the school," said Dr Dwyer, who is writing a research paper on "How queer young people are policed".
If you go to a school who has banned you from taking your same sex partner to the formal, please contact us at GenQ.
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Comments
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This is ridiculous. I still remember attending a Catholic school and taking a same-sex partner to ANY event was simply not allowed. When are religious institutions going to understand that gay people are people too, and to ask a gay person to behave like a straight person is at a minimum insulting, and quite damaging to the psyche of the gay person. Why not let same-sex couples attend and hold them to the same standard of behavior as straight couples? Why not teach gay couples how to socialize properly? These are educational institutions that should educate our youth--not ostracize them.
I'm not supporting their stand, but if you go to a certain school that is supposed to uphold certain values, i.e. Catholic ones, I can't see why anyone would expect this to be any different. People do crap on a bit about 'my right' for this and that, well institutions do have their rights too. As for discrimination - perhaps they are positively discriminating for heterosexuals. People are supposed to be supportive of positive discrimination ...
I do think there could be a compromise though ...
To start my arguement on this topic, i gotta say i find it very interesting that this ignore not only "The Queensland Anti Discrimination Act 1991 " which says: " it is against the law to treat you unfairly because of your: sex, relationship or parental status, lawful sexual activity, family responsibilities,gender identity, sexuality etc." [http://www.adcq.qld.gov.au/pubs/adcqguide.html] but in addition they haven't realised that the Archbishop Philip Aspinall: who came forth and said that he sees nothing wrong with the rightful inclusion of same-sex partners. "I have no personal objection for boys to take friends who are boys or girls to take friends who are girls to school formals" -The World Today
Now the school can stand there and say that the formal is a practise about tradition, a young man escorting a young woman. The truth of the matter is; this is practised heterosexism and heteronormativity. It is also illegal. If i had money id take them to court- they are abusing equity issues our country has spent years trying to resolve. They ban homosexual partnerships, then law requires they ban heterosexual too, other wise that is discrimination.
A tradition should not restrict and set back a country. A tradition should not undermine the progress of social equality.
How can a country like Australia say it has a good anti discrimination legislation if they allow this bullshit to be done.
I know im probably preaching to people who know and share my opinion its just important for us to stand up and say thats what we have to say about it, you know?
in the end, when you hear the principal saying, "the formal is a tradition designed to emphasise the interaction of young men and young women and providing them with an opportunity to do that in this kind of formal setting," i feel like laughing hysterically - how is it this could be taken as anything other than homophobic bullshit, where do young men and their partners get the oppurtunity to do the same in formal settings? how does a gay guy and his partner doing that in one corner affect your ability to do so with your opposite sex partner in another...
i will never understand why people want to squash other people down...
To finish today i say what i would say had i got up to close in a debate - being a debator on state level, i hope i have learned abit on making people understand which side should win.
Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. ~Nelson Mandela
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