Christian lobby chief invited to meet gays sacked and expelled

TASMANIAN GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS GROUP

Media Release
Thursday January 17th 2013

ADVOCATES SAY TASMANIA HAS BENEFITTED FROM NOT ALLOWING CHURCH DISCRIMINATION AGAINST GAYS;
CHRISTIAN LOBBY CHIEF INVITED TO MEET GAYS SACKED AND EXPELLED FROM CHURCH-RUN AGENCIES

Tasmanian gay rights advocates have added their voices to those seeking to remove religious exemptions from proposed federal anti-discrimination laws.

Tasmania Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said Tasmanian law strictly prohibits discrimination by faith-based organisations against their gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) employees.

“The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act penalises church-based schools and welfare agencies if they are found to discriminate against GLBTI employees, students or clients”, Mr Croome said.

“This has led directly to more inclusive, productive and fairer schools and workplaces, and not one single faith-based organisation has complained their religious freedom has been violated.”

“If Tasmania can have truly non-discriminatory laws without the sky falling in, then why not the nation as a whole?”

The federal government wants church-based schools and welfare agencies to be able to continue to discriminate against GLBTI people.

The head of the Australian Christian Lobby, Jim Wallace, has welcomed the move saying,

“I’m not aware of any Christian organisation that has refused to hire anyone (based on their sexuality), and I’ve looked. I’m not aware of any school that has expelled anyone… for homosexuality.”

Mr Croome invited Mr Wallace to meet some of the “thousands” of employees and students who he says have been discriminated against.

“I invite Mr Wallace to meet GLBTI employees who have been sacked from church welfare agencies and GLBTI students who have been expelled from church schools.”

“I want him to look them in the eye and tell them why their contribution and their rights matter less than other people’s.”

The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act has no exemptions allowing faith-based organisations to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation including transsexuality.

It is the only Australian anti-discrimination statute to penalise faith-based organisations for anti-gay discrimination.
Rodney Croome Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group. Australian Marriage Equality