Australia: Stop LGBTQ+ Discrimination in Religious Schools

Update – January 28, 2026: A major United Nations human rights review has now publicly called on Australia to end laws that allow religious schools to legally sack teachers and punish students for who they are. Allowing discrimination in publicly funded schools violates the right to equal treatment and safety under the law. When teachers can be fired and students pushed out simply for being LGBT+, dignity and trust in education are broken. Responsibility now sits squarely with the Australian government, which has the power to act but has stalled for years. International attention is on Australia, but pressure only works if it is backed by public voices.

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For too many years, carve-outs in our discrimination laws have left LGBT+ staff and students in religious schools open to discrimination. Teachers are being sacked for simply being who they are. Students are being denied opportunities and enrollment, outed, and made to feel less than at school because of their sexuality or gender identity. And it's legal. 

The recent incident at Citipointe Christian College, where a "statement of faith" implied that transgender students would only be recognized by their "biological sex" and described same-sex acts as "immoral" and "offensive to God", highlights the urgent need for change.

Our community has waited long enough for these laws to change. Before the last election, the government promised to take action, but they haven't yet introduced their bill. 

The Albanese government has drafted two bills to address these issues, one to repeal religious exemptions for faith-based schools and services and another to introduce protections for religious Australians. However, their progress is at a standstill.

We need to build a massive outcry to gather public support for these reforms to pass. It will take all of us to sign and share to help make this happen. Sign the petition to demand the repeal of Section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act now and protect LGBTQ+ staff and students in religious schools. 

Let's ensure that all staff and students in religious schools are protected from discrimination.