VIC Premier Daniel Andrews Blasts Cory Bernardi And The Government’s Safe Schools Inquiry

Earlier today, after much fearmongering and public pressure from conservative politicians and media outlets, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced an investigation into the Safe Schools Coalition, a program running in almost 500 schools designed to engender acceptance, tolerance and respect for sexuality- and gender-diverse and intersex kids.

Given the program only costs $8 million to run and has the support of dozens of involved organisations, the move seems to be entirely political; a concession to a group of ultra-conservative Liberal MPs who have some very interesting ideas on what teaching kids about LGBTI acceptance means.

A Coalition MP told joint-partyroom on Safe Schools program: “(It) indoctrinates kids with a Marxist agenda of cultural relativism”

— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) February 23, 2016

Public response to the news thus far has been overwhelmingly negative, focusing on the implications for young LGBTI people if the program is defunded. According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, 80 percent of anti-LGBTI bullying of young people occurs at school, and 61 percent of LGBTI kids have reported being verbally abused.

Which brings us to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. In a post on Facebook this afternoon that is rapidly going viral, Andrews savaged the conservative politicians who are seemingly indifferent to the prospect of LGBTI kids being bullied, harassed and abused at school.

“The Liberals now plan to “investigate” (meaning: ultimately shut down) the Safe Schools Coalition, a program that looks after teenagers who are getting bullied at school,” Daniels said. “Why? Take a guess. Because this particular program is designed to help a particular group of teenagers: those who are attracted to the same-sex.

“After all, they’re far more likely to get bullied at school – and this program is designed to make them feel safe. Now some Liberals have discovered it, and want to see the end of it.

“…Let’s be honest here: I don’t think these extreme Liberals are actually offended by the structure of the program, or the teachers who lead it.

“I just think they’re offended by the kids who need it. They don’t like the fact that some young people might be different.

“…I’m sick of Liberal politicians telling our kids that there’s something wrong with them – when there isn’t. I’m sick of Liberal politicians trying to push us all back, whenever we all take a few steps forward.

“Cory Bernardi says teenagers are too young to know about love and care and acceptance. Well, I can assure you, Senator: they know a whole lot more about it than you.”

Andrews isn’t the only politician to come out swinging at the government’s plan. In the Senate last night, Greens Senator Robert Simms, who is openly gay, lambasted Bernardi’s claim that talking about sexuality and gender identity in schools amounted to a form of sinister gay recruitment.

“I find absolutely ridiculous the repeated suggestion from Senator Bernardi and other conservatives that somehow by talking about differences in sexual orientation and talking about differences in gender identity you are going to recruit children at school,” Simms said.

“This is not an isolated attack from Senator Bernardi on the Safe Schools Coalition or the idea of even talking about differences in sexuality or gender identity within our schools – it is part of an ongoing crusade.”

“I have a message for Senator Bernardi: we are queer and we are here. That is the reality. Not talking about it is not going to change that reality. Denying that reality in schools does nothing other than create more human misery.”