The Victorian Labor Government has announced further funding for organisations that support the LGBTIQ+ groups in response to “unnecessary, hurtful public debate around legal protections for young LGBTIQ+ Australians,” following the shelving of the religious discrimination bill. The religious bill passed the lower house of the federal parliament on Feb. 10 after the Coalition agreed to amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act (SDA), which will prevent religious schools from excluding gay and lesbian students. This amendment did not extend to transgender students, which prompted five Liberal MPs to cross the floor in the lower house. However, the bill has since been withdrawn indefinitely after Labor, and the government voted to remove the legislation from the Senate’s agenda on Feb. 10, with the Coalition saying it has received legal advice suggesting the amendments could fuel discrimination against children. Following this withdrawal, the Victorian Labor Government released a statement on Feb. 13 …