If you ever wondered where YouTube superstar Troye Sivan gets his activist streak from, look no further than his mom, Laurelle Mellet. She’s currently petitioning the Australian government to extend funding for the Safe Schools program and make it compulsory in all schools. The program is focused on addressing the bullying and harassment of LGBTQ students around the country. Despite being concerned with inclusion and creating a welcoming educational environment, many conservative MPs have fiercely opposed it.
Presently the program isn’t compulsory, and many schools have chosen to not offer it. They argue the choice is in response to ongoing harassment from members of the public who disagree with the open support of queer teens. It’s a line Laurelle isn’t buying.
She has started a Change.org petition to save the program’s funding after witnessing the years of homophobic bullying Troye went through at school. On the page she details that queer teens are 14 times more likely to take their own lives in Australia, and questions why more isn’t being done to address this issue. She reflects: “Troye was was terrified but needn’t have been — his coming out video went viral and we couldn’t be prouder of him. But Troye was lucky. Thousands of gay teens battle aggressive intimidation, exclusion, and even attempts of suicide.”
Take a moment to sign the petition and let the government know that all teenagers have the right to feel safe in class.
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Text Wendy Syfret
Image via Change.org