The government's decision to revamp Safe Schools and cut ties with its controversial co-founder Roz Ward is a tough but necessary move to preserve the integrity of a program that is invaluable for so many young people.
Part of it, of course, is about politics. Fairly or unfairly, Ward has become a flashpoint for critics who claim that Safe Schools is less about tackling homophobia and more about promoting Daniel Andrews' "rainbow agenda" or "radical" theories about gender and sexuality.
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Roz Ward returns to work after suspension
Safe Schools co-founder and academic returns to work at La Trobe University after being suspended over comments made on a private social media account.
But part of it is also fuelled by genuine concerns – within the government and across the LGBTI community more broadly – that a program that saves lives could be dramatically undermined by sustained attacks from the Australian Christian Lobby, the state opposition, and some sections of the Murdoch press.
It's also worth noting that seven years after it began in Victoria, Safe Schools would be the only mandatory classroom program delivered exclusively by an external provider - in this case, Ward's employer, La Trobe University.
To that end, it makes sense to give the Education Department responsibility for rolling it out – rather than a small team of academics – particularly if the government is serious about expanding the program to every state secondary school over the next two years.
Will this change what the program looks like in classrooms? Not initially. Under the new structure, teachers will still have access to the same lesson plans, and pupils will still have access to the same kind of support.
But the program will continuously be reviewed and improved by the Education Department, with the backing of an LGBTI reference group co-chaired by Gender and Sexuality Commissioner Rowena Allen, and involving principals, students, parents and anti-bullying experts.
This is arguably a good thing - giving the community more ownership over the program's direction, while ensuring that the government is publicly accountable for it.
It's unfortunate that it had to come this: no one wants to be told a week before Christmas that they're losing their job (although it's fair to say Ward's Marxist views and tendency to court controversy didn't exactly help the cause) and some might argue the changes won't necessarily blunt the attacks from those who desperately want the program abolished.
But something clearly had to give. As Education Minister James Merlino put it on Friday: "Safe Schools has always been about more than just one person. It's about stopping the bullying and harassment of young people who are same-sex attracted and gender diverse. We know that it works – and we know that it saves lives."