# Australian religious school discrimination law reforms > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/australian-religious-school-discrimination-law-reforms > Updated: 2026-10-26T04:23:22.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. Legislative efforts to reform anti-discrimination laws in Australia have emerged at both the state and federal levels. In Western Australia, the government introduced the Equal Opportunity Bill 2026 to replace the Equal Opportunity Act 1984. This state-level proposal seeks to strengthen protections for LGBTQ+ individuals by prohibiting religious schools from dismissing teachers or expelling students based on sexual orientation, while maintaining exemptions for religious beliefs. Simultaneously, at the federal level, Independent MP Allegra Spender introduced the Sex Discrimination and Fair Work Amendment (Equality in Treatment in Religious Schools) Bill 2026. This bill targets Section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to repeal exemptions that allow religious institutions to discriminate based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or relationship status. Women’s rights groups and legal experts have supported these federal efforts, arguing that current exemptions undermine the rights of women and LGBTQ+ individuals. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-26: Australian women's groups urge removal of religious school discrimination exemptions Australian women's groups and legal experts are calling for the repeal of religious exemptions that allow schools to discriminate against staff and students based on pregnancy, marital status, or sexual orienat 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/australian-womens-groups-urge-removal-of-religious-school-discrimination-exemptions ### 2026-10-20: Western Australia proposes major anti-discrimination law reforms Western Australia has introduced the Equal Opportunity Bill 2026 to modernize anti-discrimination laws, specifically banning religious schools from expelling students or firing teachers based on sexual identity 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/western-australia-proposes-major-anti-discrimination-law-reforms --- Cite as: Australian religious school discrimination law reforms. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/australian-religious-school-discrimination-law-reforms