Gay Aussie actor Tim Pocock speaks out against homophobia at Sydney Opus Dei school

By SHIBU THOMAS

Out gay actor, Tim Pocock has revealed that the homophobia he faced at an Opus Dei affiliated school in Sydney left him scarred and traumatised.

Trigger Warning: This story discusses homophobia and bullying, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

Pocock spoke to Four Corners, which unearthed “disturbing practices” at two schools – Tangara School for Girls and Redfield College, both are affiliated with the Catholic organisation Opus Dei.

Former students told ABC’s Four Corners that they were taught watching pornography would cause holes in their brains, masturbation was a mentally disordered behaviour, homosexuality was a mortal sin, girls were actively discouraged from getting the life-saving HPV cervical cancer vaccine, and attempts were made to recruit young students to the shadowy sect.

LGBTQI advocates have called on the NSW government to urgently overhaul its anti-discrimination laws in light of the revelations.

Actor Says He Prayed That He Would Wake Up As A Different Person

Pocock was one of few gay students who spoke to Four Corners, and graduated from Redfield College in 2003. The gay students said that they were constantly told that homosexuality was a “mortal sin that would damn them to hell”.

Pocock’s acting credits include the Hollywood film X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the Australian soap Home And Away.

Pocock revealed that to escape the bullying he faced at school, he would spend all day hiding in bathrooms and even eating his lunch in the toilets.

“So, it’s not just, ‘You are different from me, so I’m going to punch you’. It’s, ‘You are different from me, I’m going to punch you and you’re going to spend all of eternity in the fiery depths of hell because of something that you can’t change about yourself,’” Pocock told Four Corners.

Pocock said that he believed what was taught in schools and as a 12-13-year-old would go to bed in tears, praying that he “would wake up as a different person the next day”.

NSW Premier Orders Investigation

Another gay former student Jeremy Smith said that they were not only told to hide and repress their sexual orientation but also to change it.

“In an Opus Dei system, where we were taught suffering brings you closer to holiness, the effect on gay and straight students’ mental health has led to tragic outcomes,” Smith told Four Corners.

Redfield College told ABC that no student was “victimised because of their sexual orientation”.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, an alumnus of Redfield College, has ordered an investigation into the schools by the NSW Education Standards Authority.

NSW Anti-Discrimination Act Is Outdated, Says LGBTQI Advocates

According to LGBTQI advocates, the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act is “one of Australia’s weakest”, as it fails to protect LGBTQI students from discrimination, vilification and bullying in faith-based schools.

“The NSW Anti-Discrimination Act is no longer fit for purpose because it has very broad exemptions allowing discrimination by faith-based schools on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, sex and even disability, ” Just.Equal Australia spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said in a statement.

“When it comes to LGBTQ+ students and teachers, the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act currently gives a blank cheque to faith-based schools, allowing them to discriminate.”

Croome pointed out that neither the NSW government nor the Labor opposition had committed to reforming the state’s outdated anti-discrimination laws ahead of the state elections in March 2023.

“The Anti-Discrimination Act must be reformed to ensure all students enjoy the right to learn, free from discrimination, and all teachers are employed on the basis of their ability, not their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Croome.

“The exemptions must be removed so that there is a way for students and families to appeal the kinds of discrimination alleged at Tangara and Redfield.,” added Croome.