A Tasmanian Government minister says “gay and lesbian sexual activity” will be taught in schools if the Marriage Act is changed.

It is the latest example of the upcoming same-sex marriage survey being used to further the concerns of people opposed to concepts that have nothing to do with them, such as the sexual activities of others.

Guy Barnett, Tasmania’s Minister for Resources, Building and Construction, and Acting Minister for Corrections, addressed a gathering entitled “Redefining Marriage: Consequences and Casualties”, hosted by the Coalition For Marriage in Tasmania.

Mr Barnett said; “What is taught in our schools should clearly reflect the law of the land”.

“So, if the law of the land is changed to legalise same sex marriage, schools will be obliged to teach gay and lesbian sexual activity in the classroom.

“Once gender is removed from our marriage laws it will quickly be removed from our classrooms.”

Mr Barnett said the rest of the country should not follow the the lead of Victoria, where the “so-called Safe Schools program has been promoted, where they promote gender fluidity”.

“Some of you in the room may not be aware or familiar with those terms,” he said.

“Well, be prepared, it's about to unleash on you and on us, as a community.

“Gender fluidity, gender neutrality. This is a new world we're about to enter.”

Coalition for Marriage spokesperson Karen Dixon said the consequences of same sex marriage would be “diabolical”.

“It's not just a simple matter of can two people of the same gender get married, it's being reported as that,” she said.

“The consequences are diabolical, they are far-reaching and they are long-lasting.

“Once you make changes to marriage you're changing the way that a family unit is structured ... once you legalise something, then you make it okay, you make it right, you make it good.

“It follows that the education in our school system should reflect the laws of our nation.”

The Safe Schools program has been painted by homophobes as some kind of indoctrination sessions on particular sexual methods, but it is not.

Safe Schools is an anti-bullying program that helps schools create an inclusive and safe environment for all members of the school community, including for LGBTI students, families and teachers.

Rather than ‘teaching sexuality’, it tries to promote a safe and inclusive environment to tackle bullying, discrimination and harassment at schools, particularly arising from homophobia and transphobia.

For some reason, people who do not want a gap in Australians’ access to the legal provisions of the Marriage Act to be closed, think it will somehow lead to larger changes that will make people gay.

It will not.