A South Australian legislator is set to introduce a bill that would mandate religious schools to employ homosexual teachers.

Robert Simms, an openly gay Greens member of the upper house of South Australia’s Parliament, announced his intention to propose this bill in August, aiming to abolish exemptions for religious institutions.

“It is outrageous that in 21st-century South Australia, a gay teacher working in a religious school can be in fear of losing their job simply because of their sexuality… Surely all South Australians deserve equal protection before the law?” Simms told The Advertiser.

Simms also expressed his frustration with the Federal Government’s "slow progress" on the issue, urging the South Australian government to take the initiative.

Conversely, Warwick D’Silva, national president of the Australian Family Association (AFA), criticised the proposal.

“Robert Simms’s plan to remove current exemptions for faith-based schools from South Australia’s anti-discrimination law smacks of hypocrisy,” D’Silva stated. He questioned if Simms would support legislation limiting his own party's employment freedoms similarly.

D’Silva further argued:

“Simms says that these exemptions ‘allow discrimination’ against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. They don’t allow discrimination, they allow religious schools the freedom to employ teachers and staff in line with their deeply held beliefs on matters of sex, natural marriage, and family.”

According to D’Silva, the current exemptions in the South Australian Equal Opportunity Act protect the right of parents to have their children educated in accordance with their beliefs, as recognised by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

However, even if state exemptions are removed, federal protections would still apply.

“Should Simms succeed, federal exemptions for religious schools would take precedence, preserving their freedom under the Federal Sex Discrimination Act,” D’Silva told LifeSiteNews.

Simms’ proposal comes amid ongoing debates about the employment of LGBT staff in faith-based organisations in Australia, with calls from non-profit LGBT groups and recent reports from the Australian Law Reform Commission advocating for protective measures against "discrimination."