*Age Of Consent & Legal Sexual Activity for the State of
12th April 2008 Email
to Premier Anna Bligh and to Attorney-General Kerry Shine referring to my 12th April 2008 email to the Courier Mail
and their 12th April
2008 cover story “School bans gay couples” (by
Robyn Ironside). The same journalist
also wrote a complementary page 2 article “Teenagers well aware of
their sexual preferences”- which included the unequal age of consent.
-----
Original Message -----
From: John
Frame
To: Premier Anna Bligh ; Attorney-General Kerry Shine
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 4:18 PM
Subject: re Courier Mail lead story 12th Apr
'08 "School bans gay couples"
For the attention of Premier
Anna Bligh and Attorney-general Kerry Shine.
Dear Premier and
Attorney-General,
I am sending, for your
reference, a copy of the "message for publication" which
I emailed to the Editor of the Courier Mail today regarding their
front page story (12th April, 2008) on the discriminatory treatment of
same sex attracted youth in Queensland.
The Courier Mail printed a
companion article on page 2 by the same author,
titled "Teenagers well aware of their sexual preferences", in
which attention is drawn to
I urge you to read the two
complete Courier Mail articles by Robyn Ironside, which I have included further
below.
I also urge you to show
compassion for Queensland Youth by enacting an equal age of consent at 16
(as was specifically recommended to Parliament by Peter Beattie's
1990 PCJC Committee) and by also raising the age of an adult under
Criminal Law to 18 (to be in line with the way that rest of Australia treats
its youth).
It is especially
important that you act urgently - while you know that you have the necessary
numbers to guarantee the passage of this socially just and vitally
required reform.
yours sincerely,
John Frame
jvframe@ozemail.com.au
www.queerradio.org/AgeOfConsent.htm
Ph: 07 3350 1562 / mobile:
0409 501 561
Post:
----"There is no substitute for equality"----
-----
Original Message -----
From: John
Frame
To: cmletters@qnp.newsltd.com.au
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 3:31 PM
Subject: re CM lead story 12th Apr '08
"School bans gay couples"
FOR PUBLICATION:
The CM's 12th April '08 lead story by Robyn
Ironside should make most Queenslanders proud that, in spite of having the
nation's only Criminal Code which actively discriminates against same sex
attracted youth, those same youth still have the courage and moral
conviction to seek practical equity with their much more numerous heterosexual
peers.
The article informs us that the majority of youth are aware
of their sexual preference by 8 years of age and that schooling has no
influence on the reality of that preference. All good parents should welcome a
time when the sexual orientation of their children presents no
negative consequence to either their school or the law.
The
current Queensland Criminal Code acts to reinforce the attitudes of those who
seek to actively oppress the level of self-acceptance and peer support which is
afforded to same sex attracted youth.
yours sincerely,
John Frame
jvframe@ozemail.com.au
Ph: 07 3350 1562 / mobile: 0409 501 561
Post:
----"There is no substitute for equality"----
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Front Page article from the Courier Mail today, Saturday
12th April 2008:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23525364-952,00.html
"School bans gay couples"
Robyn Ironside
April 12, 2008 12:00am
ONE of
Several students at Churchie - the Anglican Church Grammar School - have made
it known they want to escort boyfriends to the June 19 formal, but the school
is insisting they take a member of the opposite sex.
Your say: What do you think of the school's stance on this issue?
Churchie headmaster Jonathan Hensman said none of the students had approached
him directly, but a staff member had raised the issue on their behalf.
"The senior dinner dance is an opportunity for our young men to escort a
young woman in a formal school environment," Mr Hensman said.
"We don't intend to change our practice. As well as being a social
occasion, it's an education forum and to that end the school decides what is appropriate
behaviour and what is not."
Mr Hensman said the issue had not "formally" arisen in the past, that
he could recall, but the question was not unexpected given "the changing
times".
"Not all students take their girlfriends. Some take a female friend. It's
about protocols and decorums," he said. But Mr Hensman said if any of
Churchie's seniors approached him formally, he would consider taking the
request to the school council.
State schools made their own decisions on guidelines for school formals, a
Queensland Education spokesman said.
However, Churchie is not alone in its stand against same-sex couples attending
school formals, with Queensland Catholic Education Executive Director Mike
Byrne saying their schools would not allow it either.
Mr Byrne said Catholic schools were committed to modelling behaviours in keeping
with the values and principles of a Catholic institution.
"As such we would not see it as appropriate for couples in a same-sex
relationship to attend an event such as a school formal," he said.
"Where young people are concerned, there are often matters associated with
sexuality and relationships - both heterosexual and homosexual - where schools
provide a range of support services for students."
Although Ms Booth could not comment specifically on the Churchie case because
it was "a potential complaint", the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner
said schools should not treat students differently on the basis of their
sexuality.
"What we hope is that there can be a discussion about the issue, that's
what happens in the commission, and that's where we hope the matter can be
sorted out."
The Queensland Education spokesman said schools "consider the Inclusive
Education policy when planning a range of activities, including school formals
. . . and that requires schools to foster learning environments where all students
are valued for their diverse backgrounds".
Queensland University of Technology School of Justice lecturer Dr Angela Dwyer
said Churchie's stand on the issue of same-sex formal partners would be
"devastating" to those involved.
"We're talking about someone's identity here. The way that they feel and
the way that they express themselves is basically being squashed by the
school," said Dr Dwyer, who is writing a research paper on "How queer
young people are policed".
Another expert on sexuality and education, Iain Hay from the
-----------------------------------------------------
Courier Mail 12th April 2008, page 2:
(NB: this article only appeared in the print edition, not online)
"Teenagers well aware of their sexual preferences"
(by Robyn Ironside)
SIXTEEN or 17 is not too young to know you are gay, according to
sexualities and social justice expert Dr Angela Dwyer.
The Queensland University of Technology School of Justice lecturer said of the
"50 international research papers" she had read, most young gay
people knew from the age of eight they preferred members of their own sex.
"It's that age when they start to realise that they don't feel the way
other people do", Dr Dwyer said.
"Some say that it's much earlier, as young as three in some cases. If the
parents are extremely homophobic it can take a young person longer to make that
realisation."
Dr Dwyer said it was unrealistic for a school to think it did not have any
homosexual students, but it was not possible for a school to contribute to a
person's sexual orientation.
Education lecturer at the
Under
- Robyn Ironside