Malcolm Turnbull is facing pressure from his own MPs to remove funds from a program that teaches school kids about gay and lesbian issues.
But the prime minister is also copping criticism for bowing to conservative backbenchers and ordering a report on the operation of the $8 million Safe Schools program.
Some coalition MPs - one who's described the program as having a "Marxist agenda" - want him to go further.
Conservative Liberal senator Cory Bernardi led the pack on Tuesday, presenting a petition to the Senate with 9499 signatures calling on the government to scrap all federal funding.
He's labelled the program inappropriate and radical, saying 11-year-olds should not be persuaded into thinking they are sexually attracted to other people.
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie joined him in publicly asking the government to condemn and strip the program's funding.
Safe Schools contained highly sexual content and was more about advancing ideology than helping kids deal with bullying, he told parliament.
The Australian Christian Lobby, which has campaigned hard against Safe Schools, says the program promotes chest-binding in girls and penis-tucking for boys.
But others have accused Mr Turnbull of caving in to the demands of "extreme" backbenchers.
The Australian Education Union labelled it a "disappointing capitulation".
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was "disgraceful" an Australian child could fall victim to Mr Turnbull's failure to stand up to the right wing of his party.
Safe Schools wants to use the opportunity to dispel myths about the program, hitting back at Senator Bernardi's claims.
"I'm not entirely sure what Senator Bernardi is concerned about," national program director Sally Richardson told ABC Radio.
"If he was more familiar with the resources and read them in detail he would realise this is a very positive resource."
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, whose government provides its own funding for the program, said it was obvious conservative Liberals did not like the fact some young people were different.
"Let's be honest here: I don't think these extreme Liberals are actually offended by the structure of the program, or the teachers who lead it," Mr Andrews said in a statement on Facebook.
"I just think they're offended by the kids who need it."
The Australian Greens plan to initiate a Senate inquiry into homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools, arguing that claims the program was designed "to recruit" were absurd.
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