The Victorian government has passed laws banning religious schools from sacking or refusing to hire staff based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The state parliament’s upper house passed the Equal Opportunity (Religious Exceptions) Amendment Bill, 22 votes to 12 on Friday. The bill bans religious organisations and schools from “discriminating against an employee because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or other protected attribute”. Schools and organisations can only make employment decisions based on an employee’s religious beliefs when critical to the job, such as the hiring of a religious studies teacher or principal. The laws don’t affect religious organisations’ selection of priests, ministers, religious leaders or their members. Additionally, the new laws prohibit government-funded religious bodies from refusing services to people based on their sexual orientation or gender.