Hannah Williams, the 16-year-old lesbian Australian student who was barred from bringing her girlfriend to her all-girls school to a school dance, won’t be changing the mind of administrators anytime soon. Her principal maintains Williams was refused a same-sex date not because the school is anti-gay, but because Year 11 girls are barred from bringing Year 10 dates. Bullshit, says Williams. Again.
Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School Principal Heather Schnagl (email her at [email protected]) is trying to have it both ways in this News 10 interview. She insists Williams’ younger girlfriend Savannah Supski, 15, isn’t allowed to go because she’s too young, but also that administrators “ask that the guests be male only to create a mixed event.” Asks? Or demands?
Moreover, says Williams, a Year 10 boy was allowed to attend the Year 11 dance. And while both Williams and Supski says they are switching schools so they can attend classes together, the most harrowing part of this is what Schnagl’s decision has done to a 16-year-old queer student: “The situation just make me feel unwelcome there. I didn’t feel comfortable.”
Schools should be actively working toward doing to exact opposite. Especially one that professes to value “cultural diversity.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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johanna
It’s a bit weird seeing an issue so close to home on Queerty. I go to an all-girl’s Catholic private school in Australia, and at least at my school, the rules are the same as Hannah’s, but they work a little differently. Two girls could go to formal together if they were in the same year, but they weren’t officially registered as “partners” like the opposite-sex couples were. Not necessarily fair, but it’s a Catholic school, so it’s pretty progressive of them to let a same-sex couple go at all. And it’s frowned upon for same sex couples and straight couples alike to take students younger than themselves to the formal, as well as people outrageously older – in most schools, the cutoff age is 20. It’s really not as much of a drama as Hannah is making out, although I do sympathise with her. But it’s a Catholic school. While she might not agree with it, Catholics as a general rule don’t support homosexuality. It is fair of her to want to take her girlfriend, but seriously. She was fighting a losing battle from day one.
Chris
Gosh, seeing all the support these girls are getting makes me so proud to be an australian.
Now if Labor could just stop pandering to the religous right…
Nasty
What a cop out by the school. Geez…why don’t you just admit that you’re a homophobic old hag and be done with it? It’s sad that the two girls have to transfer to another school, but I’m glad that they are speaking about it publicly and hopefully it inspires the old buggers to change their rules for future students.
Aaron in Honolulu
They are so brave and so fucking HOT!