TEACHERS are being urged to stop using terms such as husband and wife when addressing students or families under a major anti-homophobia push in schools.
The terms boyfriend, girlfriend and spouse are also on the banned list - to be replaced by the generic "partner" - in changes sought by the gay lobby aimed at reducing discrimination in classrooms.
The Daily Telegraph has revealed NSW schools are being pressured to provide lessons for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and stack their libraries with books and videos covering their issues.
Among the demands are the outlawing of homophobic comments by teachers or students in the playground and a requirement for teachers to receive "diversity training".
Education Director-General Michael Coutts-Trotter emerged yesterday as a leader of the anti-homophobia campaign, opening a Government-backed conference on sexual diversity - That's So Gay.
The Federation of Parents and Citizens' Associations also weighed into the debate, calling for "appropriate literacy materials promoting diversity in families".
The radical shake-up means that families with two mums or two dads will likely be accepted as a normal part of school communities.
Mr Coutts-Trotter said public schools had a responsibility to include children from same-sex couples and forbid any kind of discrimination.
"Happy families come in all shapes and sizes," he said.
"We value diversity and include everyone in the life of the school ... meeting the bare legal requirement is not enough.
"Public education has a responsibility to include ... to strive to make all feel welcome."
Mr Coutts-Trotter said he was aware some teenagers felt, "lonely and abandoned as they come to terms with their sexuality".
He said leadership from students in public and independent schools was an important weapon to support those facing discrimination and "combat homophobia".
"Our schools should be sanctuaries (for students)."
The NSW Department of Education and Training said any attempt to stop same-sex partners from attending a school formal in NSW - as controversially occurred in Queensland - was likely to breach anti-discrimination laws.
The Daily Telegraph also found that the department is already spearheading a major push to win acceptance for gay and lesbian students in public schools.
"Teaching about sexual diversity, tolerance and anti-bullying occurs through the personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) curriculum in all NSW schools - public and independent," the spokesman said.
"In Years 7 and 8 students learn about bullying, including anti-homophobia. This is reinforced in Years 9 and 10 in anti-discrimination topics in the curriculum."
"Same-sex attraction issues" are included in students' lessons on relationships, diversity and discrimination.
A 25-hour course, mandatory for Year 11 and 12 students in government schools, examines "issues relating to sexuality and sexual diversity".
Debate over books used to teach young children about gay lifestyles has been a hot issue in the past.
Two years ago argument became heated over a push to have books such as Jed and His Dads and The Rainbow Cubbyhouse taught in Sydney daycare centres.
Yesterday the Australian Association of National Advertisers announced major changes to its code of conduct banning future advertisements for kids' products from including sexual imagery or implying that children - classed as 14 or under - are sexual beings.
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has been shoved into their brains? It doesn't do a kid any favours in the long run, and most gays I know can't stand such 'fairies'. 
Originally Posted by Nick_Since_1985
