Australian Christian group campaigns against program to stop bullying of LGBT school kids

Family Voice Australia says sexual orientation is not a significant cause of bullying in school and the Proud Schools program is 'indoctrinating them [children] with lies about sexuality'
27 February 2013 | By Anna Leach
An Australian Christian lobby group is trying to stop an anti-homophobic bullying program in schools in New South Wales.

In letter to state Premier Barry O'Farrell seen by Gay Star News Family Voice Australia writes that the Proud Schools program, which started in pilot form two years ago and is soon to be rolled out across the state, is 'indoctrinating them [children] with lies about sexuality'.

Sydney lawmaker Penny Sharpe said Family Voice's letter 'demonstrates why Proud Schools is so important' and showed 'careless disregard for the wellbeing of GLBTI young people in our community'.

The letter describes homophobia as a 'term of abuse used to intimidate into silence anyone who believes homosexual conduct is unnatural, unhealthy or immoral'.

More shockingly, the letter compares homosexuality with smoking as 'an unhealthy habit'. The letter reads:

'Students who are “smoking-attracted” should not be encouraged in an unhealthy habit. Neither should same-sex attracted students be encouraged to embrace a lifestyle associated with serious health risks.'

This comparison with being gay with the health risks of smoking echos a comment by Jim Wallace, head of the anti-gay Australian Christian Lobby, last year, which prompted the prime minister to cancel her speach at their conference.

The Proud Schools program was piloted in 2011 as a response to national research from La Trobe University that showed 'two in three same-sex and gender questioning young people reported they had been verbally abused, and that one in five had been physically abused'.

However the letter from Family Voice denies that sexual orientation is a significant cause of bullying in school and quotes a local un-named school principal who says 'there's not a great deal of overt homophobia'.

'The Proud Schools program is not about preventing bullying,' the letter reads. 'Its focus on homophobia,transphobia and heterosexism is sexualizing our children and indoctrinating them with lies about sexuality.'

The letter ends imploring Premier O'Farrell to cancel the Proud Schools program. 'We don’t want NSW school students to be exposed to a program aimed at normalizing homosexuality,' it says.

What's terrible?