A Melbourne School Captain Has Spoken Out Against Policies Affecting LGBTQIA+ Students

Gay Melbourne Grammar school captain Daniel Cash speaks out.

This week, Melbourne Grammar’s openly gay school captain Daniel Cash has made numerous appearances online, writing articles, starring on The Project and radio shows, speaking out against a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission's review of anti-discrimination laws.

The Presbyterian Church's submission has argued that gay students shouldn’t be given leadership roles at school.

The church stated that LGBTQIA+ students “would not offer appropriate Christian leadership in a Christian school which requires modelling Christian living”.

Daniel wrote an opinion piece for The Age about his thoughts on the submission, asking “surely “modelling Christian living” is not well exemplified in the practice of exclusion or discrimination?”

“The beauty of my generation is its widespread, gentle disinterest for sexuality. My peers know I am gay and they do not much care, just as they do not much care that others are straight or of other sexualities."

"This strength in character, this security of identity, is characteristic of the best leaders, and the Presbyterian Church of Australia has a chance to demonstrate it too.”

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles spoke on Today Show about how uncomfortable he was about these reports, stating that while respecting the views of people of faith “we can’t see a situation where we’re inadvertently discriminating against kids”.

The Age also reported that The Islamic Council of Victoria said in their submission that Islamic schools “should be allowed to preference staff based on religion in the hiring process, as well as terminating staff who undermine the “ethos” of a school”, as well as “act against a staff member who supports an LGBTQ student or attends a Pride rally”.

News.com reported The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils believe “religious education organisations should be free to have the rules, policies and procedures of the education institution in accordance with the principles of that religion without exception.”

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