Charlotte Varcoe
AN online survey started by a state politician has sparked backlash from the local queer community.
Member of the Legislative Council Ben Hood opened a survey this month to gather information about the wants and needs of parents regarding sexual education and other topics.
The survey was sparked after an incident at a Renmark school where a third party respectful relationships presentation allegedly referred to beastiality, and questioned parent’s opinions on topics such as gender, climate and more.
Mr Hood said the survey was “off the back” of concerns parents expressed to him from across the state.
“A number of parents were concerned about the programs which have been taught in schools around consent and respectful relationships,” Mr Hood said.
“That was really triggered by the incident that happened in Renmark a couple of weeks ago and parents from the local area and around the state had been reaching out to me in the past for raising these issues.”
He said he believed it was easier to put up a survey and gain responses to what children were being taught in terms of “central education and gender ideology” as well as “climate alarmism and political ideology”.
“Parents were feeling in some respects that their authority had been taken away on what their kids were being taught from some third parties which were coming in,” Mr Hood said.
“It was a case of whether we need to look into what some of these third party programs are teaching off the back of Renmark and have a critical look at what is being passed onto kids.”
He said he believed sexual education and morality should begin at home with the conversations sparked with parents.
“I think it is vitally important that parents are involved at the forefront of those conversations with regards to sexuality and regards to gender,” Mr Hood said.
“We only need to look at the Cass review from the United Kingdom which shone a bright light on gender affirming care and how that could have detrimental effects on young children.
“When we then talk about gender ideology being taught through these third party programs, parents have concerns about that because they feel it confuses the situation even more.”
Mr Hood said despite this, everyone should be respectful of each other yet reiterated it was “vitally important” parents were at the “forefront” of sexual education.
“Human beings are a weird and wonderful bunch and we are all walking our own paths but again it is vitally important that parents are at the forefront of sexual education in any discussion around radical gender theory but also in terms of climate environmentalism and political ideology which could be worked in,” he said.
“In terms of biology, many parents say to me – and I agree with them – that in science class gender should be something that sits with the parents when they are talking about sexual education and those types of things.”
However, Mr Hood acknowledged that there were students which may reside in foster or kinship care and those who may not have access to parental education.
Mr Hood reaffirmed the survey and discussion around the topics included was not an attack on the queer community but was “reflective of a great number of concerns” he had heard from parents in terms of what was being taught in schools and what ideologies should be within the context of school.
According to Mr Hood, radical ideologies brought to his attention included transgender people being involved in sport and gender.
The survey has been criticised by LGBTQIA+ and queer community advocate Patrick Smith who said he was concerned it could result in representation of the queer community in education settings diminishing.
“My biggest concern comes from a variety of different angles but mainly from a queer perspective because if people are not showing great diversity and inclusion in all spaces and given opportunities to embrace and see diversity included then we are doing them a disservice,” Mr Smith said.
“That is regardless of whether it is a diversity of opinion, race, gender, sexuality, cultural backgrounds or language it is a total disservice when we deliberately start shutting down channels to allow that to happen.”
He said with the community living in a “fairly free society” opportunities should be given to everyone.
“We need to be exposed to a variety of diversity which makes up our society and provides a multitude of different angles and opinions, so shutting down possible avenues for that is not very helpful,” Mr Smith said.
“If sexual education in relation to education is not done in an inclusive manner it will reinforce dangerous and very conservative ideals that actually end up harming people and ending lives.
“Ultimately education can be suicide prevention and it is daunting and scary for a young queer person, having been one myself, to navigate the world and noticing you are a bit different and you do not fit in with what is deemed to be normal.”
Mr Smith encouraged parents who were concerned about the curriculum regarding respectful relationships to contact the school directly.
