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Dear, Imagine you're 16 and you've just realised you might be gay. You're being bullied, so reach out to your school for help – they send you to a chaplain. He says that being gay is a disease and you need to be cured. Sound outrageous? The Australian government just released the Federal Budget with $245 million to send chaplains from anti-gay religious groups into schools all over the country. There's still a chance to stop it – next week the opposition parties will decide if they should pass the budget in full, seek to amend it or block it entirely. If this secret religious agenda doesn't make headlines, it could be forgotten and passed without debate. But if thousands of us sign right now, we could make it a major priority for any Australian politician who wants to make schools more (not less) safe. We only have a few days. Sign now and forward this email to 5 friends: https://www.allout.org/australia-budget This isn't just about budget lines – this is about the lives of young people. 2 out of every 3 lesbian, gay, bi or trans youths in Australia are bullied in school. Some are harassed by their teachers and forced to change schools – or even drop out. These are the very people qualified social workers could be helping. But if the government gets their way, millions will be poured into keeping these young people from the help they desperately need. Over the next few days, Australian Senators will have a chance to question the Minister for Education and the Department about this plan – but there's no guarantee they'll even know or care about it unless it's mainstream news. The answers to those questions could expose this whole suspicious scheme. Can you sign now to bring it to their attention? All Out members working together have already played a huge role in standing against the secret agenda of religious crusaders. In France, more than 26,000 of us got the Ministry of Education to finally promote a helpline for LGBT youth in schools – keeping the religious anti-gay groups trying to block it at bay. And, more than 68,000 of us just got notorious American anti-gay pastor Lou Engle to pull out of a huge event in Switzerland supporting his work. Now, we can make sure that the Australian government can't get away with pandering to powerful and extreme religious groups. Sign now to join in: https://www.allout.org/australia-budget Thank you for going All Out, Andre, Hayley, Jeremy, Sara and the rest of the All Out team. P.S. This federal budget has cut deeply into a lot of Australia's most important services, and people across the country are preparing to fight for what matters to them. If we can make sure LGBT youth are a part of this budget debate, we could get the support of a lot of people who might be focussed on other issues. Together, we're building a powerful, broad force for good. Sign now to get started: https://www.allout.org/australia-budget SOURCES: Budget: it will be chaplains, not secular social workers, at schools - The Guardian, 14 May 2014 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/14/budget-it-will-be-chaplains-not-secular-social-workers-at-schools Chaplaincy program leaves secular workers with no more than a prayer - Sydney Morning Herald - 21 May 2014 http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/chaplaincy-program-leaves-secular-workers-with-no-more-than-a-prayer-20140520-38mnf.html Bullying 'pushing homosexual students to suicide'- ABC News, 5 July 2013 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-11-11/bullying-pushing-homosexual-students-to-suicide/201864 Australia: One in ten LGBT young people forced to change schools over anti-gay bullying - Pinknews, 7 February 2014 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/02/07/australia-one-in-ten-lgbt-young-people-forced-to-change-schools-over-anti-gay-bullying/ Chaplaincy program to fund groups with links to homophobia - Gay News Network, 16 May 2014 http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/news/national/chaplaincy-program-to-fund-groups-with-links-to-homophobia-13835.html | ||||
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