To amend Part 6 of the Anti-Discrimination Act to remove the exemptions for religious institutions
As it stands it is entirely legal for a religious school, charity, hospital or place of worship to discriminate based on any variety of factors. This is not a matter of freedom of religion; this is a matter of respect for all people regardless of who they are, where they come from, their sexuality, marital status, gender, age or disability. A religious school should not be allowed to expel a homosexual student simply for who they are. A religious charity should not be able to fire a paid worker for being single and pregnant and a Church should not be allowed to refuse entry to a disable person, nor should a religious hospital be allowed to refuse treatment to a Muslim simply due to their faith. These examples are extreme, but they have occurred in the past. Allowing for these exceptions to the law to continue sends the wrong message about what society expects. There should be no exceptions to equality of all humankind and as such Part 6 of the Anti-Discrimination Act needs to be amended. Sign this petition to bring this issue before Youth Parliament, and help to raise the profile of this injustice.
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