High school students in Tasmania are being made to recite pro-LGBTQIA+ chants affirming “gender is not simply male or female” and that “non-binary, cisgender and transgender” are “all valid identities”.
The “choral reading” passages, which the “whole class” is instructed to “read aloud together at the same time”, are included in a booklet given to Year 8 health and physical education (HPE) students at Montrose Bay High School in Hobart titled “Let’s Talk About Sex”.
Photos of the booklet were taken by a parent and shared online by X account Women Speak Tasmania.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) said in a statement to news.com.au, “Teaching and learning programs in Tasmanian Government schools are informed by the Australian Curriculum. Across all learning areas, curriculum content is designed to be age appropriate.
“DECYP will review the materials to support the school in ensuring they align with the Year 7/8 HPE curriculum as intended.”
The introduction states that the nine-lesson Let’s Talk About Sex unit “develops knowledge and skills to help students make safe, respectful and informed decisions, with a strong focus on consent, sexuality, protection and support”.
According to the unit overview, at least half of the course appears to relate to contentious topics like gender identity, sexual orientation and combating “homophobia and transphobia”.
Pregnancy, contraception and sexual health are left until the final two lessons.
In lesson one, “gender identity, assigned sex and gender roles”, students are presented a passage that the teacher will first read to the class.
“The whole class will then read it aloud together at the same time — focus on pace, expression and reading as one group,” the instructions state.
The passage reads, “Gender and assigned sex are not the same thing. Assigned sex refers to the biological label — male, female or intersex — given to a person at birth. Gender, on the other hand, is how a person experiences and expresses themselves in the world. It exists on a spectrum, and understanding the difference helps us respect and support everyone around us.”
In lesson two, “what is gender?”, students must read together, “Gender is not simply male or female — it is a rich and complex part of every person’s identity. The gender binary suggests there are only two genders, but many people experience gender outside of this. Some identify as non-binary, cisgender or transgender. All of these identities are valid, and each person’s experience of gender is uniquely their own.”
The choral recitation in lesson four, “sexuality, sexual identity and attractions”, goes, “Sexuality is a deeply personal aspect of who we are. It includes who we are attracted to, how we experience attraction, and how we understand ourselves in relationships. Sexual orientation exists on a broad spectrum. No matter where a person falls on this spectrum, their identity is valid and deserving of respect. Understanding and accepting diverse sexualities helps create a kinder, more inclusive world for everyone.”
Each lesson includes “success criteria” indicating the student must affirm the statements in order to pass. Students are also expected to “be respectful of all genders, identities and beliefs” and “use correct and respectful terminology” throughout the unit.
After lesson one, for example, students must be able to “describe the difference between gender and assigned sex”, while lesson four’s success criteria state, “I can … describe sexuality, sexual orientations and types of attractions … explain the difference between homophobia and transphobia … (and) identify ways to be an LGBTQIA+ ally.”
In that lesson, students are taught about sexualities including lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, pansexual and questioning.
The booklet also asks students to answer in their own words, “Why are transgender and intersex included in the LGBTQIA+ acronym?”
Women Speak Tasmania wrote on X, “No open debate. No alternative view presented. Just group recitation of the claim that sex is a ‘label given’ at birth and gender is a spectrum. Success criteria require them to ‘describe the difference between gender and assigned sex’ exactly as taught.
“Proper biological sex differences (chromosomes, gametes, reproductive anatomy) are not taught first. The starting point is that sex is a bureaucratic label and gender is an internal spectrum identity.
“Sexual orientation is about who you are attracted to (male or female bodies). Transgender is a claim about identity that can conflict with biological sex. Intersex is a medical disorder of sexual development.
“These are not the same thing. Yet the booklet deliberately conflates them, puts them in the same acronym, and trains 13- and 14-year-olds to treat disagreement as phobia while scoring them on how well they can perform allyship.”
Some online alleged the booklet was “propaganda”.
“Damn, traditional sex ed has been completely displaced,” one commenter said.
All Australian states and territories ascribe to the so-called “respectful relationships” educational framework, which is now included in the national curriculum.
“Respectful relationships and consent education (RRCE) promotes gender equality and challenges harmful stereotypes,” the Tasmanian government website states.
“It aims to develop the skills and confidence individuals need to build healthy, positive relationships. Evidence tells us RRCE is key to the prevention of family and gender-based violence. It is a state and national priority.”
A national survey by Monash University earlier this year found responsibility for delivering RRCE fell largely with school staff, with three quarters of programs delivered internally.
RRCE has long drawn criticism from conservatives.
Earlier this year, the South Australian government admitted it breached its duty of care towards Year 9 girl Courtney Gaylard after she and her classmates were allegedly taught about topics including bestiality and incest and shown pictures of transgender surgery scars during a respectful relationships presentation.
Faith-based legal organisation Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International said Courtney’s case was “an example of a larger pattern”.
“Increasingly, parents are discovering that radical approaches to sex education — often shaped by internationally developed curricula and promoted by activist groups at the national level — are being quietly rolled out,” ADF International director of advocacy Robert Clarke said.