17c起草社区

From Our Archives: 17聽April 1997

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鈥楴o-one cares that he鈥檚 gay. It鈥檚 just that he鈥檚 so proud of it,鈥� a Cranebrook High School聽student said of her 14-year-old classmate Christopher Tsakalos.

She didn鈥檛 mean it as a compliment.

鈥楬e got bashed a couple of times but mostly brought it on himself. He didn鈥檛 help himself,聽the way he walked and talked,鈥� said another Cranebrook student about Christopher聽Tsakalos.

鈥楶eople who look like that, you would just have a go at them, but that鈥檚 just the way school聽is,鈥� a third Cranebrook student said, also referring to Christopher Tsakalos.

Those observations, re-published by the Sydney 17c起草社区 in its Gems column on 10聽April 1997, showed how unsafe schools were for LGBTI students and teachers in the 鈥�90s. In聽many cases, they still are.

In Back to School for Gay Students (17 April 1997), the Sydney 17c起草社区 reported聽Christopher Tsakalos鈥� case against the Department of Education. The young student alleged聽Cranebrook High School, in Sydney鈥檚 west, had failed to provide a safe environment for him.

Tsakalos said he was beaten up, abused and terrorised by fellow students because he was聽gay.

鈥淚n a last-minute out-of-court agreement between the parties, the Department undertook聽to provide a safe school for Tsakalos,鈥� said the Star report.

鈥淚 have really missed school, and I really wanted to go back. They have said to me it is going聽to be safe, and if it鈥檚 not then I guess we鈥檒l be back here [in court] again,鈥� Christopher聽Tsakalos said.

The student鈥檚 mother, Vicky Tsakalos, said she was relieved at the outcome but still聽harboured concerns about what will happen when her son returns to school.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 say that I am not worried 鈥� but at least we’re getting somewhere, at last something聽is being done … that is all I ever wanted.鈥�

Barely two weeks after Christopher Tsakalos reached his out-of-court settlement, the聽Sydney 17c起草社区 led with another story of sustained abuse experienced by a gay high聽school student and witnessed by teachers at the student鈥檚 school.

鈥淎 former student of Marcellin College at Randwick is suing the Catholic Education Office聽(CEO), claiming he endured two years of homophobic abuse while attending the Catholic聽high school,鈥� the Star鈥檚 Ruth Pollard reported in ANOTHER SCHOOL FACES GAY ABUSE聽CHARGES: CATHOLICS SUED (1 May 1997, page one).

The student, James Brilley alleged the CEO had breached its duty of care.聽Brilley said he experienced a loss of quality of life, loss of past and future earnings, and pain聽and suffering because of his experience at Marcellin College.

He said teachers witnessed the homophobic abuse levelled against him by his fellow聽students but had done nothing to prevent it.

The situation at Marcellin became so serious that Brilley, then 14 years old, was regularly聽sent by the school鈥檚 principal to the Prince of Wales Adolescent Unit, where he was given聽medication and counselling without his mother鈥檚 consent.

Brilley told the Star he began litigation against his former high school to ensure they were聽made accountable for their lack of action.

鈥淚 am not saying everyone at the school is homophobic, but a great majority of them were,鈥澛爃e said. 鈥淥ne of the kids said he was surprised the brothers let me into their school.

鈥淎nother student said to me: 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you do some work, poof鈥�, and a teacher said聽鈥楨xactly鈥欌��.

Other students called James Brilley a 鈥渇ucking poofter鈥�, 鈥渇aggot鈥�, 鈥渦gly, dumb poofter鈥� and聽told him he should commit suicide.

鈥淭o say the school was uncaring is an understatement,鈥� Brilley said.

The Star noted that Brilley鈥檚 case had again raised concerns over religious exemptions from聽anti-discrimination laws.

Gay and Lesbian Teachers and Students Association (GaLTaS) co-convenor Derek Williams聽said James Brilley鈥檚 case highlighted the need for fundamental changes in the Catholic education system.

鈥淭he CEO accepts public money to assist in funding their schools,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淭hey should聽therefore have to obey the same Anti Discrimination laws that apply to the rest of the聽community.鈥�