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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-11-30 Daily Xml
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SCHOOL FORMALS

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:48): I rise to talk on the subject of discrimination around school formals. We are entering school formals season and celebration season in this country. In the space of the last decade or so, in fact, high school formals have transformed into quite a major social event, where the previous party pies and soft drinks under the watchful eye of teachers has transformed into something might more like the American-style Proms—

The Hon. K.L. Vincent interjecting:

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: —which the Hon. Ms Vincent says is a shame; but I imagine those students who enjoy those events may beg to differ. Certainly, I remember in year 10 having some sort of a school formal where I dutifully searched for an outfit. It was made of silk, and I ironed it and destroyed it by leaving the iron on it too long. Now, that iron mark on my beautiful, white outfit lives in my memory.

The Hon. S.G. Wade: A trauma.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: It was quite traumatic. For those students who dream of their formal, who enjoy the planning, who look forward to the events—we see the Hummerzines travelling the streets and we have even seen the rise of a magazine called Formals SA, auspiced by Tracy Marsh, the former Liberal candidate—this is because year 12, and year 10 to a lesser extent, is a time of beginnings and endings. It is a time of celebration when students prepare to leave the security of the schoolyard. When they do, though, they have two hurdles to get over: the exams and the school formal.

For some students that hurdle is set higher because they happen to be same-sex attracted and the culture of their school is not inclusive of this. As one student described the school formal, it is a time when you get to say the final goodbye to everyone. The pictures are kept for years. If I am traumatised by the fact that I ruined my outfit with an iron, I can only imagine how devastating it is to be excluded from your school formal altogether because of your sexuality. It is not only a time of great excitement; it can be devastating, distressing and disappointing.

Around this time last year I was disappointed, although not surprised, to see the story of Hannah Williams and her girlfriend Savannah Supski who were at the Ivanhoe college in Victoria. Hannah was banned from bringing her girlfriend Savannah to the school formal, and told that if she wanted to attend it would have to be with a boy so that there could be a gender balance at that particular event.

I strongly suspect that that was an attempt to discriminate against this young couple, with a reason that had less to do with the idea of a real gender balance and more to do with the idea that their same-sex attraction was not endorsed by Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School. They may claim that it was not a discriminatory move, but it had the effect of discriminating against those young girls. Anyone who remembers being in high school can remember that it is hard enough being different in that environment; it is harder still if your school does not support you in terms of what your identity is, and certainly your sexuality. At the time, Dr Kerryn Phelps advised:

It looks like responsible parents these days need to check the policy on same-sex attracted students in advance, before they pay the hefty enrolment deposit...just in case their adolescent offspring sprouts into a young lesbian or gay boy.

I could not agree more. I, as a parent, would want to know if in the future my child was going to be safe from discrimination or bullying at the school that I had chosen for them, especially if that discrimination were to come from the school itself and not simply from the students. That expectation goes not only for my child, but also for my child's friends. One imagines that the institution setting the example of discrimination is certainly not putting those students in a safe place.

It is a continuing travesty that under our current state legislation some schools are allowed to hide behind religious affiliations to entrench discrimination against same-sex attracted students and staff. In fact, these schools can advertise for new staff without informing potential new staff that if they are same-sex attracted they will be subject to this discrimination themselves.

Research tells us that if young people are supported at school we will see less homophobia and bullying. Just this week we have seen the tragic consequences of bullying in schools. It is time for all celebrations—be they school formals, weddings or other events in life—to be inclusive of same-sex attracted South Australians.

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