A Christian school in the Australian city of Brisbane has shocked lots of people for asking that guardians sign an enrollment contract that alludes to homosexuality as a sin and includes it for a list of “immoral” conduct alongside bestiality, incest, and pedophilia.
The document could see students ousted in light of sexual direction, orientation personality or sexual activity, as per a Change.org petition against the new agreement, which has gathered in excess of 100,000 signatures.
Citipointe Christian College sent the contract to guardians on Friday January 28, ahead of the new school year.
The school document supposedly states:
“We believe that any form of sexual immorality, (including but not limited to adultery, fornication, homosexual acts, bisexual acts, bestiality, incest, pedophilia and pornography), is sinful and offensive to God and is destructive to human relationships and society”.
The contract additionally said the school will just enrol a student “based on the orientation that relates to their natural sex.”
Citipointe Christian College is one of the biggest independent schools, educating around 1,700 students from primary through to secondary education.
Meanwhile, some guardians have sent a petition to the school, who they believe are straightforwardly victimizing eccentric and trans students, therefore are asking the school to withdraw the contract.
The request is to show Citipointe that they (the guardians) won’t represent such obtrusive transphobia and homophobia. But the school is still standing by their contract.
In a statement, it said its teachings are based on the religious convictions of the International Network of Churches “that hold that marriage was established by God as between a man and a woman, and which don’t recognize orientation and natural sex.”
According to the school, they have consistently held these Christian convictions and have tried to be fair and straightforward locally by making them clear in the enrollment contract.
“We are seeking to maintain our Christian ethos and to give parents and students the right to make an informed choice about whether they can support and embrace our approach to Christian education.
“Citipointe does not judge students on their sexuality or gender identity and we would not make a decision about their enrollment in the College simply on that basis.”
Notwithstanding, the new contract expresses the school would reserve the option to reject a student who no longer stick to the College’s doctrinal statutes including those as to natural sex.
Meanwhile, the education minister of Queensland says, she thinks the contents of the contract very distressing. She said:
“In this day and age to see this happening is actually quite unbelievable”
The minister said the matter had been referred to the Non-State School Accreditation Board, who would be reviewing complaints about the school on Thursday February 3.
The Queensland Human Rights Commission said the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act prevents schools from discriminating against students based on their sexuality or gender identity.
Schools in the state can operate as single sex or a religious school, but the law “does not allow a school to refuse enrollment based on gender identity or sexuality,” the commission said in a statement.
“A school policy that requires a trans or gender diverse young person to be treated as their sex assigned at birth, or that requires a young person to hide or deny their sexuality, is likely to amount to unlawful discrimination,” it said.
“Schools cannot contract out of their duties under discrimination laws by asking parents or students to agree to discriminatory terms.”
Australia’s national government has proposed new regulation that it says will protect residents from discrimination based on religious conviction or action, similarly as current laws preclude separation in light of race, sex, incapacity and age.
The Religious Discrimination Bill is still working its way through Parliament, and thousands of interested parties have submitted their views.
Critics are concerned the bill would allow religious bodies, including schools and charities, to discriminate if it’s consistent with their core beliefs.
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