ADJOURNMENT

Ms AMBIHAIPAHAR (Barton) (19:55): Tonight I rise to deliver Poppy's speech, and I want to read it in full first, before I make some remarks of my own: At my school, a chaplain implied my relationship with a girl was 'sinful'. If anyone dares to put a rainbow flag on their locker, it's torn down. At my friend's catholic school, students were told that gender-diverse people are mentally ill.

And that's just the start of it. Private and independent schools in NSW are all but exempt from LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination laws. They argue that it's because of 'religious freedom'.

But when 39% of LGBTQ+ youth considered suicide last year, and over half self-harm, it's become more than a matter of faith. It's become an issue of survival. So what steps should the government take today to build a better tomorrow for young, particularly LGBTQ+, Australians?

The first step they need to take is fixing anti-discrimination legislation. While the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act is being reviewed, change isn't happening fast enough. Queer students need help now.

No school should be allowed to discriminate, whether that be what I've experienced or so much worse. The government has a responsibility to ensure that stories of homophobia like these are just stories, not realities. So that thousands of queer students don't become just another statistic.

Poppy sent this speech in as part of the Raise Our Voice initiative. I was struck by it when I read it, and I empathise with it. Quite a few people know about this personally, but I've always held the holy mother of God, Mother Mary, close to my heart and my Catholic faith.

I wore a medallion of her around my neck to keep her near and keep me safe when I was in high school. I remember being ordered to take it off when I was at school because it didn't align with the school policy. My principles and beliefs felt outcast and rejected, and, in a similar vein, Poppy has felt outcast and rejected because of who she loves.

That just doesn't make sense to me. Of course schools should be able to teach their faith and their values, but in turn students should be able to express themselves and live their values too. For me, it comes down to one Jesus commandment that I think about quite a lot: 'Love one another as I have loved you.' We are all deserving of love, we're all deserving of respect and we're all deserving of dignity.

This is a principle that underlies all religion and, I like to think, our democracy as well, and it should also extend to schools. I want to thank you, Poppy, for sharing your experience with me and also this House and this parliament. To us, you will never be another statistic.

You and all members of the LGBTQ+ community are absolutely loved, and you're always welcome here. House adjourned at 20:00