PM’s bizarre way of uniting his people
It is regrettable that within days of becoming prime minister, Scott Morrison has undermined one of the most vulnerable groups, Australia’s tens of thousands of transgender young people. The nation’s new leader responded to a disingenuous and erroneous report in a Sydney newspaper in a manner that may promote discrimination. The report, which has been comprehensively debunked, claimed teachers were being taught to identify transgender children, causing a jump in the number of children identifying as such.
Morrison derided the specialist consultants invited to schools to support transgender kids and their families. Using his Twitter account, he said: ‘‘We do not need ‘gender whisperers’ in our schools. Let kids be kids.’’ His behaviour sits uncomfortably with his claim that his overarching priority is to unite people after an extraordinary bout of self-interested infighting in the coalition government brought down yet another leader.
His comments to The Age that he has no intention of becoming a ‘‘culture warrior’’ while pledging to change laws to ‘‘protect religious freedom’’ sit uncomfortably with his response to issues faced by transgender young people at schools. Such kids, their friends and families, and the entire queer community deserve better.
Morrison says he loves all Australians. So far, he has a bizarre way of showing it.