Update On The Latham Bill

It’s been a busy couple of months for our equality team. Amy McGowan, Justine Field and Connor Boesel have been working hard to ensure a harmful Bill is not introduced into NSW Parliament. 

Mark Latham’s Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 threatens the quality education system that provides an inclusive and supportive environment for all children, and will be particularly harmful to our families as well as trans and gender diverse students. 

Earlier this year Rainbow Families was invited to make a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry for the bill. Following numerous community consultations on the topic last year, Justine put together our submission to the Inquiry -

Rainbow Families opposes the Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 (“the bill”) on the basis that it is discriminatory, divisive, harmful and unnecessary. The bill attacks the basic human right of all students to be treated with dignity and respect and to feel safe and supported at school. This piece of legislation would undermine a strong education system that helps children understand a complex world and equips them to function in it.

Download the submission here

Following our submission we were invited to speak at the Parliamentary Hearing in April. Amy volunteered to represent our families at the hearing – sharing stories from the community about how the bill would affect the diverse families in our community. Speaking at a hearing like this is not for the faint hearted, and Amy did a fantastic job of explaining why this bill is harmful to our community. Connor has supported the team in the submission and preparing for the hearing.  

Amy, Connor and Justine thank you for your continued efforts to remove discrimination our families still face. The fight for equality for our families is ongoing. If you would like to get involved in our equality team, please email us.