From William Chidley to Germaine Greer Australia has spawned more than its fair share of radical thinkers about sex, and Australians have often embraced their ideas, despite persecution by officialdom.
One Nation Queensland leader Steve Dickson has been publicly critical of the Safe Schools program.
AAP/Regi Varghese
One Nation Queensland leader Steve Dickson said the Safe Schools program contained ‘highly explicit material’ that is being ‘directed at young children’. We asked the experts to look at the facts.
This pamphlet, authorised by the Australian Conservatives, was received in a letter box in a Victorian suburb in September.
Supplied
‘Vote No’ campaign material distributed by the Australian Conservatives claims that if same-sex marriage is legalised, the Safe Schools program will be ‘mandatory in schools’. We looked at the facts.
Community leaders will play a very important role in whipping votes for or against in the same-sex marriage plebiscite.
AAP/Alan Porritt
The Crossroads program provides students with meaningful and accurate information about gender diversity in order to challenge homophobic and transphobic discrimination and violence.
Ignoring homophobia makes it impossible to effectively combat it.
Reuters/Erik De Castro
Not only is the Australian Christian Lobby losing relevance, it has had to appeal to Bill Shorten to pay attention to the group in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
After a three-week debacle, the findings of the review into the Safe Schools Coalition program are out. Here’s what academic experts make of the review.
What this election will really be about for Malcolm Turnbull is the size of his post-election majority.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
What might be Malcolm Turnbull’s worst nightmare, apart from losing the election? Scraping back as a minority government, with Tony Windsor in balance of power.
Australian Christian Lobby’s Lyle Shelton, speaking on Q&A.
Q&A
The Australian Christian Lobby’s Lyle Shelton said he was concerned about body modification, gender reassignment surgery and future suicide risk. We check the research.
Queer history is celebrated in the United States, so why not Australia?
Ronald Woan
About 80% of students experience some kind of gender-based bullying in their primary and high school years. But research shows that teachers often fail to intervene or are not equipped to deal with it.
While some conservatives worry about the Safe Schools program ‘turning’ kids gay, they in turn seem determined to turn queer kids straight.
Shutterstock
The review of the Safe Schools program is yet another example of the misguided conservative anxiety that talking about homosexuality can “turn” children gay.
Moralising commentaries about the Safe Schools Coalition are dangerously out of touch.
Jason Devaun
Moralising commentaries about the Safe Schools Coalition are out of touch with social research about gender and the realities of the ways that young people understand their own sexual and gender identities.
Principal Research Fellow, Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, National Centre of Excellence in Suicide Prevention, Griffith University