As the marriage equality debate rages across Australia, one of the key concerns about the cases being argued in the public arena is the impact it could have on already vulnerable young people who identify as gay, bisexual or transgender. This kind of crisis is similar to the impact of bullying, homophobia and transphobia explored by Benjamin Law in his essay, “Moral Panic 101”. The essay begins by reflecting on the case of Tyrone Unsworth, a 13-year-old boy who committed suicide after being bullied for his sexual orientation back in November 2016.

Benjamin Law joined the Daily to talk about Safe Schools, whether transphobia is the ‘new’ homophobia, and the impact of the marriage equality debate and arguments by ‘No’ Vote advocates on vulnerable kids.