“Girls’ School Principal Bans Trousers, Opposes Gay/Straight Alliance”.
It’s not exactly a 21st century headline, but let me explain. I was chatting to a high school teacher friend of mine who had expressed interest in facilitating a more welcoming environment for the queer kids at a female-only school. The principal wasn’t exactly on board with the idea.
Now, the principal has banned trousers, blocked the formation of a gay/straight alliance and opposed a ‘Wear It Purple’ day in a bizarre act of regression.
My teacher pal went on to explain that her recent trip to the Safe Schools Coalition symposium in Melbourne was a source of inspiration for her. “These guys are affiliated with Sexual Health and Family Planning and they are essentially trying to get schools to be more inclusive for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” she said.
In the meantime, any of this teacher’s efforts to create an inclusive space in the school have been repeatedly shot down by the current principal, the most recent of them being the proposal to hold a Wear It Purple day. The plan was for students to wear a purple ribbon to show support for their peers, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender expression. Eventually, she got permission to run Wear It Purple as a trial, “albeit with absurd limitations that were highly suspect”.
Another of the school’s staff members attempted to find a speaker for the Wear It Purple day – somebody who would be able to demythologise the issues surrounding LGBT experiences at school – but was met with staunch opposition by the principal, who instead wanted a religious speaker to provide “a balanced and fair approach to these delicate and controversial issues”.
Ultimately, the proposal for an LGBT representative to speak to an assembly of students was knocked back. “We just kept having to jump through hoops and wade through endless bureaucratic process to even get a foot in the door in terms of discussion. The principal is a right-wing c**t, which in itself is not an issue – our previous principal was of the Christian Right ilk, but being positively cadaverous he hardly posed a threat. The current principal is active and aggressive in her opposition to any LGBT conversation in school unless it’s through a religious lens, and we all know what that looks like.”
Despite these teachers’ failed efforts to run a Wear It Purple day long-term, they will not be discouraged. A senior staff member told us: “Despite being DEC-endorsed and indeed championing federal law, we were still barely able to get the Wear It Purple proposal on the table, but I believe that persistence is key and we will eventually be able to make the Wear It Purple day and gay/straight alliance happen, and eventually create a safe space at school for LGBT students and their allies. I want to remain optimistic despite the oppressive political climate at school.
“My long-term view is to eventually start a gay/straight alliance at school. And if they don’t let me, I will contact the Department of Education and Communities and claim they are not fulfilling their duty of care. I’m not afraid to fight dirty.”
Now this is the kind of hero our community needs.
For The Diary:
On Friday February 10, head over to The Shift Club on Oxford Street for the opening of its new Friday show, Censored Grandeur: Let Them Eat C@$!. Dom De Sousa will be resident DJ for the evening and performers include Ripley Waters, Thomas Peisley, Ms. Charisma Belle and Marilyn Mootrub. Free entry.
On Saturday February 11, Snatch And Grab is hosting its annual Mardi Pardi warm-up with Girlthing: Femme Nation Army at the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville. Featuring are Val York[above], Matka, NatNoiz, Bella Louche, Yemisul and Tammy Thomas, with more to be announced. It’s the party to kick off the Mardi Gras season, and tickets are available now.
And for the diary, Sunday February 19 is Mardi Gras Fair Day. After some uncertainty over the venue, it has now been confirmed Fair Day will return to Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.This is one of the most loved Mardi Gras events and it attracts over 80,000 people. Think of it as a big gay picnic, with entertainment including the cast of Kinky Boots and Swing Out Sydney.
