Submission No 17 s exualisation of children and young people organisation

treats obesity-fearing anorexic patients with liposuction. The treatment should strive 
to correct the false, problematic nature of the assumption and to resolve the 
psychosocial conflicts provoking it. With youngsters, this is best done in family 
therapy.
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In clear contradistinction to the approach set out by Paul McHugh, SSCA insists that schools ought to 
be “supportive if a student wants to change their name … and should be just as supportive about 
changing a pronoun” - whether that means calling someone “he, she, or they”. Material within the 
program contains the following directives to students and teachers in the SSCA: 
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SSCA ‘Is ‘The Gender Fairy’ in your school library?’
http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org.au/is-the-gender-fairy-in-your-
school-library-5
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Frequently Asked Questions, The Gender Fairy, accessed 05/02/2016, 
http://www.thegenderfairy.com/faq.html
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Kate Legge, ‘Transgender children: what’s behind the spike in numbers?’ 
The Australian,
18 July 2015,
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/tablet-t3/tablet-t3/transgender-children-whats-behind-the-spike-in-numbers/news-
story/ee83d0294dfd7c898173002de7f9ffe7
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Paul McHugh, ‘Transgenderism: A Pathogenic Meme’, The Witherspoon Institute, Public Discourse, 10 June 2015,
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2015/06/15145/

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22 

Some people have surgery to alter how they express their gender, some people have 
hormone treatment. Some people legally change what’s written on their birth 
certificate.
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
The basics are that sex is your physical aspects (i.e. your wibbly wobbly bits) and 
gender is how you feel in your mind.
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
Discrimination is not allowed, even if your school discriminates without meaning to. 
An example of this might be not allowing a student to stay in a particular room at 
school camp.
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SSCA school uniform policy 

Provide students the option of wearing any part of your school uniform regardless of 
gender.
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SSCA policy on access to toilet facilities 

Allow students to access a unisex toilet or the toilet of their choice.
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Community concerns 
There has been community backlash against the program. One mother from Queensland has argued 
that the program is not appropriate for primary school children. She said the program exposed 
children to information that “they are too young to handle”. “It’s not based on whether they are gay 
or heterosexual, it’s sexual, they’re minors, they’re not of the age of consent and it’s not ok.” Further 
negative reaction to the program has come from parents,
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students (statements included below), 
pro-family lobby groups
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, as well as a retired Senator
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, the Catholic Education Office,
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MPs, and 
journalists
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. 
Wear It Purple Day 
A special day called “Wear it Purple Day” on 28 August has been endorsed and supported by the SSCA 
as an awareness day to promote “diversity and inclusivity” in schools. It is essentially a solidarity day 
where all students are encouraged to wear purple in order to show solidarity with gay, lesbian and 
transgender students.
In 2015, Burwood High school decided to screen the film 
Gayby Baby
during school hours as part of 
Wear it Purple Day. The film is an Australian feature length documentary about the children of gay 
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OMG My Friend’s Queer, Ed. Micah Scott, Safe Schools Coalition, accessed 18/01/2016, 
http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org.au/uploads/2dd9051c41af2766cacf2b3b0fccd00b.pdf
p 9. 
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Ibid. p 9.
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Stand Out, Roz Ward, Micah Scott, Safe Schools Coalition, accessed 18/01/2016,
http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org.au/uploads/67bcaee23b6cd8036e402aa33e4e4490.pdf
p 34.
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Gender is not uniform inclusive school uniform guidelines guide sheet