The Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby has spoken out against claims that students are being “brainwashed” by a lesson plan which teaches them about the discrimination and isolation faced by fellow gay, lesbian and bisexual students.

According to David Scamell, co-convenor, “this is not about social engineering, or brainwashing. It is not asking or encouraging students to become gay, but rather to put themselves in an uncommon situation of facing discrimination because of their sexuality”.

He added: “ It is trying to make students aware of some of the difference and isolation that young gay people feel growing up in our society. The isolation that the gay and lesbian students in that classroom would deal with every day”.

The article on the front page of today’s Daily Telegraph, reports that Year 9 students at one Sydney high school had been given a lesson, titled Dealing with Difference, which asks students to imagine being straight in a world where most people are homosexual.

The lesson plan has subsequently been banned by the NSW Education Minister, Carmel Tebutt.

Julie McConnell, co- convenor, stated: “When gay and lesbian students continue to face high levels of violence and harassment in NSW Schools, it is extremely short-sighted and reactive of the Education Minister to ban educational material which aims to foster acceptance and understanding within the classroom.”