By Kim Spurway
SYDNEY — Three gay men have been forced to leave an inner-city high school because of death threats, verbal abuse and anti-gay messages left on blackboards.
The three were followed home by gangs and were physically abused and threatened in the school grounds. They had returned to school this year under the mature age entry program, intending to sit for the HSC.
Another high school student who is HIV positive has decided to stay at school despite attempts to force him out and statements by education authorities that they can't guarantee his safety.
At the inner-city school, one gang member has been suspended after a violent incident, and counselling has been offered to both parties. But, says Derek Williams of the Gay and Lesbian Teachers and Students Association (GaLTaS), "Although the school concerned is acting supportively, the students are refusing to return to their studies. They just do not believe that the problem will be solved by their attackers having a session with the school counsellor."
Heather Hornvedt, of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Parents FLaG), agrees that the problem will not be solved by counselling alone: "Disciplinary measures against the poofter bashers is not effective, all that does is give them another excuse to go out and roll another poofter. What is called for is a much more aggressive policy by the Minister of Education, Mrs Chadwick, against school homophobia. We also want parents to re-examine the messages they are sending out."
GaLTaS says a growing number of gay and lesbian students are leaving school because of homophobic violence or threats. "Homophobia is a problem in every school", says Derek Williams. "I think that even homophobic parents would be shocked at what their poofter-bashing kids are up to." Eight Sydney teenage murderers are now serving 18-year sentences for the murder of Richard Johnson in Alexandria in 1990. "These incidents are on the increase. Gay and lesbian students are forced to lie about their sexuality to escape physical violence."
At a March 26 meeting with Virginia Chadwick and education authorities, the victimised students and gay and lesbian groups called for more resources and a stronger policy to deal with homophobia. GaLTaS made several suggestions, including a compulsory rather than optional section on homophobia in the new Personal Development Curriculum, and a policy that schools treat homophobia in the same way as racism, sexism and Aboriginal relations.
GaLTaS also suggested that school libraries have books with positive role models for lesbians and gays, and that the education department investigate the Californian school system's Project 10, which deals with harassment and violence against lesbians and gays.
Chadwick responded that most schools would not accept a compulsory in parliament on March 20 she added that she "was not beyond persuasion" on the idea of a statewide program against all forms of discrimination.