Trans@School
We are proud to launch our new series of videos to compliment the Trans@School resource previously published on the Queensland Human Rights Commission. They explain the rights of students under the Anti-Discrimination Act and include information on names and pronouns, school uniforms, medical information and privacy, toilets, and school sports.
These resources were developed in response to growing numbers of enquiries from schools and teachers who wanted to know how to better support trans and gender diverse students, and from students and parents who wanted to know their rights at school.
As you may be aware, trans and gender diverse young people experience severe mental health issues at much higher rates than their peers, and self-harm and suicide attempts are alarmingly prevalent. Research and consultations suggest that bullying and problems with lack of support at school can be significant contributing factors – for example, the Trans Pathways Study found almost 80% of trans young people had issues with their school, university or TAFE.
All schools – whether they are state schools or non-government schools – have an obligation to comply with the Anti-Discrimination Act, which means that students cannot be treated differently just because of their gender identity.
We know some schools are trying hard to make sure their students all feel safe and supported but just do not know where to start. These resources are aimed at helping everybody – schools, students, and families – understand the legal aspects of the issues impacting on trans and gender diverse students, and hopefully lead to better outcomes for those students and a safe and supporting learning environment for the whole school body.
The guide for schools is available at the QHRC website here.
The student resource is available at the QHRC website here.
Our thanks to our partners in Trans@School Resource project, the Queensland Human Rights Commission and Legal Aid Queensland, as well as everyone who took part in the consultations for this project, with particular thanks to Queensland Children’s Gender Services and Education Queensland, for helping us bring these important resources to fruition.