Letters from gay students

Currently it's still legal in Australia for religious and independent schools to discriminate against gay high school students. There was an effort last year under the Gillard gov to put some sort of thing together to enshrine human rights into Australian law, but alas there was so much opposition to leaving the status quo with these schools that it all fell over and was abandoned into the too hard box. This doesn't negate what students are still going through today. 

Gay independent Alex Greenwich has taken up this issue, publishing two stories online of letters sent to him by students. This is one of them. You can read the whole article here.

Dear Alex, 

Back in 2007 while I was in Year 12, I was in Girlfriend magazine with a coming out story and because of that I was asked with my partner to make an appearance on Sunrise. 

Because of these media appearances, students and teachers at my school found out I was gay. This didn't go down well. 

It was six weeks before my HSC and they set a meeting with me and my mother to talk to them about the "issue" of my sexuality. I was called up to the office, in tears, with two teachers, the assistant principal and my mother. 

We were up there for over an hour talking about what I had done, why I did it and who I was. 

After this meeting the conclusion was that they would take it to the school board to see what will be done and whether or not I would be expelled. I was stressed out not knowing what would happen. 

A week later I had another meeting with them which ended in the school saying I could stay in school - on these conditions: 

1. I could not mention or talk about my sexuality at school to anyone. 
2. My partner Rick was to have nothing to do with the school or functions. 
3. I had to see a counsellor weekly until I left school. 

I didn't agree with this but with only six weeks left I had to suck it up and deal with it. It left me feeling very angry and stressed. 

I contemplated leaving the school and seeing the counsellor was the hardest part. Knowing who I was, and having the school make me try to "fix" myself wasn't easy. Growing up with a very supportive family, I didn't think I needed to be "fixed". 

Even in our Bible Studies class I recall hearing 'if you are a homosexual you are going to hell'. 

I did have two teachers who were very supportive through my situation and I thank them for that as it helped me get through my last weeks of school. 

Then the school formal was another issue all together as I wanted Rick to be there. My date card was rejected because another male's name was on the card. They did not allow same sex partners to attend the formal. 

It took a lot of planning to get Rick there. He ended up going as a date with one of my good friends and I took a friend of mine from outside of school. 

When teachers found this out I was hounded with questions and assumptions like "he's not 30 or something is he?" Or "you won't make out with him on the dancefloor" at the actual formal? 

We did sit next to each other, but we were clearly looked down upon. We did not dance together or be affectionate towards each other because it was very uncomfortable. 

I thought that I had dealt with this but when the school said that they "find it offensive for people to even suggest they discriminate against students" it made me stop and think because I was discriminated against and I found it "offensive" for them to say that. 

-- Adam L more