Rainbow Rebellion, an LGBTIQ+ activist organisation, organised a protest against the religious discrimination bills on February 9.
Hundreds of people turned out at short notice, including members from the Australian Services Union, the National Union of Students and the Independent Education Union.
Georgie Beatty, President of the National Union of Students, said that “NUS will not support the bill in its current form, and stands in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+/Queer community”.
If it became law, the bill would allow the federal government to override state level anti- discrimination protections. It would also allow LGBTIQ+ students and teachers to be discriminated against in religious schools, using faith as a justification. The bill was amended and passed the House of Representatives on February 10. Later that day, the ABC reported the government had “shelved” the bills.