The right to education for LGB Australians

LGB Alliance Australia has made a submission to the U.N. Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity in response to a call for input on 'The human right to education and the protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.'

We contend that students who are (or may grow up to be) same sex attracted are at risk of two forms of discrimination within Australia’s school system. These might be termed Homophobia 1.0 and Homophobia 2.0.

Old-fashioned bullying of students who are (or who are perceived as) lesbian, gay or bisexual persists. In some schools, it is reinforced by policies and practices which treat these students unequally to their peers. Some formal discrimination against LGB individuals is still permitted by law in religious educational environments.

At the same time, students growing up to be LGB are also at disproportionate risk of coming to believe that their sexed bodies are ‘wrong’ and that high-risk, quasi-medical interventions are essential to their survival and future happiness. Unfortunately, these baseless and dangerous beliefs are encouraged by several Australian state education departments and many students are psychosocially ‘transitioned’ at school.

LGB Alliance Australia calls upon the education system to oppose both forms of discrimination.

Read our submission here.