Evidence affirming school supports for Australian transgender and gender diverse students

Abstract

Abstract. Background: The United Nations (UN) and related UN bodies have recognised transgender and gender diverse (TGD) students' rights at the global level to full equitable access to education, and specifically sexuality education, repeatedly. Methods: This article explores the available support for this equal access in Australia. It discusses TGD student rights in a range of Australian laws and education policies. Results: It shows how the inclusion of TGD students, particularly in sexuality education, is reinforced in the current Australian National Curricula. Finally, it considers research on Australian TGD students' educational attainment, experiences of transphobic abuse and violence, and experiences in contexts where they do and do not have staff (and other) support. It also shows that contrary to the picture of TGD students as victims leading inherently negative lives often seen in research, this group is nevertheless capable of resilience and positive education activism, which promotes their wellbeing and social outcomes. Conclusion: It argues for a shift from harmful approaches of victimising TGD students or treating them only as victims, towards celebrating the contributions of these students to their schools and societies.

Inclusive pedagogies for transgender and gender diverse children: parents’ perspectives on the limits of discourses of bullying and risk in schools

“…However, it is critical not to position TGD individuals as victims without agency or resilience (Bartholomaeus and Riggs 2017;Hillier et al 2019;Jones 2017). Australian national research has shown that TGD young people were twice as likely to engage in help-seeking behaviours and activism than their cisgender, same-sex attracted peers (Jones and Hillier 2013).…”

Supporting Transgender Students in Higher Education: Opportunities for Mental Health Professionals

“…However, Meyer's minority stress model has been pivotal in expanding the focus of attention from the individual to the environment, and highlighting the role of resilience in coping and succeeding in the face of systemic oppression and discrimination (Meyer, 2015). Recent equal access educational policy efforts in Australia incorporate many of the suggestions noted earlier, and early research shows that TGNC students benefitted significantly from social support, inclusive curricula, and a strength-based, rather than deficit model of gender nonconformity (Jones, 2017). California, an early leader in support of TGNC students in K-12 education, has recently passed legislation that will require specific actions by schools to better support these students (Meyer & Keenan, 2018).…”

Social Support in Schools and Related Outcomes for LGBTQ Youth: A Scoping Review

“…al., 2008;Huang et al, 2018;Jones, 2017), particularly for youth from rejecting families(Craig et al, 2018). On the other hand, lower peer acceptance or connection predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower levels of self-esteem and belongingness to the school(Bos et al, 2008).…”