Dave Kelly: Religious belief should never be blank cheque to hurt others

Most people are surprised that in WA religious schools have the legal right to sack a teacher (or any staff member) for having sex outside of marriage, for living in a de facto relationship, for being pregnant, for having an abortion, for being gay, for having an affair and the list goes on.

Imagine a young, unmarried teacher who falls pregnant. Her options are to keep the baby or have a termination. But the pregnancy itself and the options she has all threaten her employment at her religious school. If the pregnancy is discovered, she could be sacked. If she has the baby, she could be sacked. And if she has a termination she could be sacked. In any ordinary workplace in Australia sacking that woman would be illegal but, in a WA religious school, that is not the case.

Religious schools have similar legal rights over their students. Students can be asked to leave for falling pregnant or for being gay.

The Telethon Kids Institute says about 10 per cent of students identify as something other than heterosexual. These kids at religious schools can be subjected to teachings that say who they are is the work of the devil, or that being gay will send you to hell.

Imagine a queer student who eats their lunch in a toilet cubicle every day because they have been told to be ashamed of who they are. They fear being bullied or expelled if they are honest about who they are.

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