Brisbane's Anglican Church Grammar School’s controversial policy of banning same-sex partners from the school social has been backed by its school council.
Headmaster Jonathan Hensman, who last week wrote to parents denying the policy was homophobic, had referred the policy to the school council after up to eight “Churchie” students requested permission to take same sex partners to the social.
Hensman claimed at the time that escorting a young woman to a formal was part of the boys' education, a position that has been challenged by gay activists.
A brief statement posted on the Churchie website on April 30 said the school council "strongly supported the headmaster's position on the school's education programs in social settings".
Council members also "thanked the headmaster for his leadership and his ongoing commitment to the highest standards of education for Churchie boys".
Action Reform Change Queensland (ARCQ) spokesperson Rod Goodbun told Queensland Pride that although he wary of singling out one school over the issue, he was skeptical about its educational justification for the ban.
“Improving relationships between men and women takes more than one evening’s formal occasion, it’s a process of sensitisation that should begin from an early age and continue to adulthood,” Goodbun said.
“On the other hand, enabling men who are same-sex attracted – and most of them will grow up to be gay – to attend the formal with a same-sex partner positively reinforces their identity and can only be good for their well-being. Nobody loses out by including those young men and their partners in the formal school occasion,” he said.
Meanwhile, a welfare organization for young gays and lesbians has refuted the headmaster’s claim in a letter to parents that the school is not anti-gay.
“The School’s position is and has historically been that the School Formal is an educative forum whereby males enjoy social interaction with females,” Hensman wrote.
“Regrettably this has been misconstrued as anti-gay by certain members of the community, when in fact Churchie has always respected all its students, and we will continue to do so."
However, the coordinator of Open Doors Youth Service, Lisa Thorpey, said the school was acting in an anti-gay manner “whether they are prepared to recognise it or not”.
“[The statement] shows absolutely no understanding of the school’s participation in the continuation of institutionalised homophobia or Queensland’s historical context,” Thorpey told Queensland Pride.
“Historically gays have been vilified in Queensland where it was still illegal to be gay right up until the 1990. By only allowing socialised heterosexual interactions at an educative forum such as a school formal, Churchie is reinforcing the social exclusion and self expression of its young gay students and is therefore contributing to internalised and externalised homophobia and vilification.
“It is denying its gay students the opportunity to learn how to interact socially with a partner of their choice and its non-gay students the opportunity to learn how to interact with gays in a social setting.
“It is disappointing that Churchie lacks the analysis to understand that by privileging heterosexual social interactions over homosexual social interactions it is reinforcing the poor health outcomes for and limiting the potential of its young gay, bisexual and transgender students,” she said.
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) national spokesperson Shelley Argent said the letter sent a message of non-acceptance to gay students.
“PFLAG parents think this letter sends a message to the gay youth of the school that they are second class or inferior,” she said.
“Do they think parents with gay sons should take their sons from the school, miss out on the formal or do something that isn't natural to them just to make the school community in general feel more comfortable?”
Let Churchie know you support same-sex partners at school formals
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Iain Clacher
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