Gender diversity, intersex and sexual diversity
‘Equality and freedom from discrimination are fundamental human rights that belong to all people irrespective of sexual orientation, gender identity or because they are intersex’ (AHRC 2014).
Educators need to understand gender diversity, intersex and sexual diversity and the issues that may face these population groups. Teaching and learning must be inclusive and relevant to the lived experiences of all children and young people and support their right to be safe (Department for Education 2024a).
Gender diverse, intersex and sexually diverse children and young people report experiencing high levels of verbal and physical biphobic, homophobic, interphobic and transphobic abuse in the community, with a notable percentage reporting that this has occurred within the education environment (Hill et al 2021). This can significantly affect their wellbeing, attendance and educational outcomes.
There is a strong correlation between abuse and increased rates of anxiety, depression and ‘risky’ behaviours, including self-harm and suicide (Department for Education 2024b). Some children and young people may feel unsafe seeking support or reporting abuse if they have to disclose aspects of their identity. Ensure relevant and appropriate support services are available to all children and young people.
Definitions
Gender – is used to describe a characteristic of a person which could be female, male, non-binary or agender. Gender may or may not correspond to a person’s sex assigned at birth.
Gender diverse – a broad term that can refer to all forms of gender identity and gender expression and includes people who may identify as for example trans, transgender, gender queer or gender questioning. It refers to people whose gender expression or identity differs from the gender identity associated with the sex assigned them at birth or society’s expectations. The person may identify as neither male nor female, or as both.
Gender identity – refers to a person’s strongly held internal sense of self, of being masculine or feminine, or both or neither. Gender identity does not necessarily relate to the sex a person is assigned at birth.
Intersex – intersex people have sex characteristics (hormonal, genetic and reproductive) that differ from the medical and social norms for female or male bodies. Intersex variations are natural manifestations of human bodily diversity. These variations can be identified prenatally, at birth, at puberty, when trying to conceive, or through random discovery.
LGBTIQA+ – an acronym that is used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, questioning/queer and asexual (plus other) people collectively.
Non-binary – someone who doesn’t identify exclusively as male or female. They might feel like they have a mix of genders or like they have no gender at all.
Phobia – as in transphobia, interphobia, homophobia and biphobia. The fear, intolerance, and/or discrimination of people who identify as:
- Intersex (interphobia)
- Same-sex attracted (homophobia)
- Transgender, gender diverse or gender nonconforming (transphobia)
- Bisexual (biphobia).
These attitudes can be linked with hostility, verbal and physical abuse, prejudice or discrimination.
Same-sex attracted – people who experience feelings of sexual and emotional attraction to others of the same sex. This term includes people who may identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, or who are questioning their sexuality.
Sexual diversity – a diverse range of sexualities, identities, and romantic or sexual attractions. This term includes those who may identify as same-sex attracted, lesbian, gay and bisexual.
Sexual orientation – refers to a person’s emotional and/or sexual attraction to another person, which can include heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual or something else.
Sistergirls and Brotherboys – terms used by some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to describe a person assigned male or female at birth and identifying or living partly or fully as another gender. Use and spelling of the terms may vary across different groups and communities, and other cultures will use different terms to describe gender diversity.
Transgender – an umbrella term used to describe a person whose gender identity or gender expression is different from the sex assigned to them at birth.
(Australian Human Rights Commission n.d.; Australian Institute of Family Studies 2022; Department for Education South Australia 2024.)
Implementation
For Australian educators, connections can be made between the KS:CPC, Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum, for example:
- as part of the Early Years Learning Framework, children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities and a positive sense of self-worth (Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity)
- the Australian Curriculum: Personal and social capability provides a foundation for students to understand themselves and others and navigate their relationships, lives, work and learning
- through the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education learning area, students explore their identity and understand influences that form their sense of identity. Also, refer to ‘Meeting the needs of diverse learners’ the Health and Physical Education key considerations.
Educator tips:
- Acknowledge that although gender is not binary, references to boys/men and girls/women is used to support discussions about the impact of gendered expectations and stereotypes.
- Gender equality benefits society by promoting fairness, diversity and the full utilisation of human potential, leading to economic growth, improved wellbeing and social harmony.
Resources
LGBTIQA+ glossary of common terms (Australian Institute of Family Studies 2022)
LGBTIQA+ people – Family, domestic and sexual violence (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2024)
Gender Identity (Kids Helpline)
Resilient individuals: sexual orientation, gender identity & intersex rights: National Consultation Report 2015 (Australian Human Rights Commission)
Sexual, gender and bodily diversity discrimination (Kids Helpline)
Sexual Identity (Kids Helpline)
Terminology – LGBTIQ (Australian Human Rights Commission)
Writing Themselves In 4: The health and wellbeing of LGBTQA+ young people in Australia (Hill AO, Lyons A, Jones J, McGowan I, Carman M, Parsons M, Power J, Bourne A 2021)
Department for Education SA
Gender diverse and intersex children and young people support procedure
Supporting gender diverse, intersex and sexually diverse children and young people policy
References
Australian Institute of Family Studies (2022) LGBTIQA+ glossary of common terms
Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) (2014) Face the facts: lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people, Sydney: NSW
Department for Education (2024a) Gender diverse and intersex children and young people support procedure, Government of South Australia
Department for Education South Australia (2024b) Supporting gender diverse, intersex and sexually diverse children and young people policy, Government of South Australia
Hill AO, Lyons A, Jones J, McGowan I, Carman M, Parsons M, Power J and Bourne A (2021) Writing themselves in 4: The health and wellbeing of LGBTQA+ young people in Australia, National report, monograph series number 124, Melbourne: Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University