IEU slams outrageous letter to Tasmanian Catholic school families
The Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania has publicly expressed its deep concern about a bizarre letter from Archbishop of Hobart Julian Porteous circulated to families with children enrolled in Tasmanian Catholic education in mid-May.
IEU members have expressed their outrage at the letter, which criticises legal abortion access, transgender rights, voluntary assisted dying, euthanasia and same sex marriage.
Speaking on ABC radio Hobart, IEU Victoria Tasmania General Secretary David Brear said the letter was “out of step with the broader Catholic community”. He said members had logged complaints about the letter with the Archbishop’s office, numerous members in schools had refused to distribute the letter, and there were many others who had said they are “disappointed, hurt and upset by the views expressed in the letter”.
In an IEU statement, Brear said the letter “alienates many valued staff and students in Catholic education and undermines the important hard work staff in Catholic schools do every single day to build strong, supportive and respectful school communities”.
“Making statements like these is not the way to build a resilient and diverse Catholic education sector in Tasmania. We are extremely concerned for the wellbeing of staff, students and families who as a result of this letter have been made to feel less welcome in our school communities.
“The IEU supports legislative change which will make schools and workplaces more inclusive and increase protections for LGBTIQA+ students and staff who have every right to participate in the workplace and in education. There are of course current laws already in place which protect staff and the IEU will defend any members who are unlawfully discriminated against.”
Equality Tasmania wrote to all Tasmanian Catholic schools asking for a right of reply to the Porteous letter.
Equality Tasmania president Rowan Richardson said, “schools should be affirming and safe places for LGBTIQA+ students, staff and parents”.
“However, the Archbishop’s letter has stigmatised LGBTIQA+ people as a threat to religious values, and thereby created unsafe learning and working environments.
“The Archbishop’s letter is also deliberately misleading about proposed law reforms including a state ban on conversion practices and proposed federal discrimination protections.
“The Archbishop has repeatedly said he is a champion of free speech and here is his chance to prove that.”
The Porteous letter asserts that:
• A proposed federal law preventing faith-based schools from discriminating against LGBTIQA+ people is “an existential threat” to those schools, despite such a law existing in Tasmania for 26 years
• Bans on conversion practices “are gross violations of human rights”, despite the absence of any evidence to that effect in states with conversion bans including NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT
• Efforts by the “radicalised transgender lobby” to “disconnect gender from biological sex” is a “denial of reality” despite no evidence to back up that claim, and despite evidence that such fearmongering fosters prejudice and discrimination against trans and gender diverse Tasmanians.
Mr Richardson called on concerned parents and taxpayers to express their views to Catholic Education Tasmania.
“As funders of Catholic schools, taxpayers and parents have a major stake in ensuring these schools are safe and inclusive learning environments for all students.”
Catholic schools receive extensive government funding, and remain subject to the laws of Australia, regardless of whether they consider themselves “different” and “god’s own people” as the letter states.