The AIDS Foundation is defending a Queenstown school that has come under fire from a Southland church for its policy of promoting tolerance towards glbt students. The Invercargill-based Hawthornedale Community Church took out a half-page ad in Saturday's edition of The Southland Times to protest against the “morally bankrupt” Labour-led Government. The advertisement showed a picture of a poster on the wall of a classroom of Wakatipu High School in Queenstown, which says it's OK to be heterosexual, gay or bisexual. Church pastor Ernie Sinclair says they were inspired to take out the ad after watching the Destiny Church Nation Under Seige DVD. "It really opened our eyes to what is happening in this country," he said. But the AIDS Foundation says the Queenstown school is to be commended for promoting tolerance, and tackling bullying and discrimination in its school with the use of these posters. Spokesman Steve Attwood says the Foundation is deeply concerned that a programme aimed at promoting safety in schools for all students should be described as an example of "moral bankruptcy" and be portrayed as a moral issue. "We see this as a health and human rights issue," he told GayNZ.com. "There is absolutely no evidence that talking about homosexuality will encourage straight youths to experiment with being gay, but there is plenty of evidence to show that when these issues are discussed openly and tolerance and understanding promoted, that the health of young glbt people is greatly enhanced and self harm behaviour such as drug and alcohol abuse and suicide is reduced."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Friday, 16th September 2005 - 12:00pm