Private religious schools can still legally discriminate against LGBTIQ+ students, teachers and parents. This means schools can refuse to employ or sack teachers based on their sexual orientation or gender history, refuse to enrol the children of LGBTIQ+ parents and exclude young people who identify as LGBTIQ+.

This great injustice remains legal because faith-based schools still have religious exemptions under the Equal Opportunity Act (WA) 1984.

The Law Reform Commission is undertaking a review of the whole Act and, while this review is welcome, it will take a long time to be completed and LGBTIQ people have waited long enough. 

The evidence is clear - repealing these discriminatory exemptions is necessary now.

As your Greens spokesperson for Sexuality and Gender Identity, I have introduced a Bill to State Parliament which will repeal and replace Section 73 of the Act, making it illegal for schools to discriminate on any grounds other than a person’s religion (Jewish schools could still choose to only enrol Jewish students, for example.)  

Rights are rights and should apply to everybody. We must protect the right of children, of families and of workers now.

The Greens have always spoken up for the LGBTIQ community and we will continue to work towards ending all forms of discrimination against LGBTIQ people.