A counter petition in support of the Safe Schools program has already gained over 2,000 signatures.

Following months of scrutiny, anti-bullying program Safe Schools is once again under fire. Earlier this year Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered a review of the program. The Safe Schools program aims at promoting acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.

This week, Liberal MP Damien Tudehope introduced a petition in parliament with over 17,000 signatures urging the state government to entirely discontinue the program. The petition argues that the program “promotes a particular ideology, including gender fluidity that is contrary to our cultural and belief system.”

Tudehope stated his electorate is one of the most multicultural in Sydney and filed the petition on behalf of the Australian Chinese community. “One thing that our migrant communities have in common is that they won’t allow anyone interfering with their parental rights and programs like Safe Schools represent an attack on the rights of all parents.”

The petition also states that the Safe Schools curriculum “discriminates against children and parents from other cultures who have a view of sexual relationships involving male and female as normative.”

Labor MP Penny Sharpe has responded to the petition with her own petition defending the Safe Schools program.

This petition highlights the fact that all schools have LGBTI students, even if they are not visible and that homophobic and transphobic bullying happens regularly at schools. Due to this bullying, the students face suffering poor mental health, poor academics, and higher rates of self harm and suicide.

The Labor MP’s petition has gained over 2,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. The petition aims to reach 22,000 signatures by September 22 to urge Premier Mike Baird to continue the Safe Schools program in New South Wales schools.