Discrimination and Bullying on the Grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Western Australian Education

Abstract

Greater recognition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity led the United Nations to take a direct stand against school-based homophobic bullying. The UN Secretary-General called the prevalence of this specific type of bullying a public health crisis. UNESCO has released several documents guiding education sectors globally to explicitly address it. Education leadership are advised to take urgent action, and to prevent the need for a reactive approach to homophobic discrimination and bullying driven by the type of legal actions and public protests now emerging across several Australian states. ... The report concludes with a series of recommendations arising out of recent research, consultations with the WA EOC Working Group and Steering Committee and UNESCO, and key informants from the Victorian and NSW contexts. These recommendations are directed to government, education authorities and schools. Important features include the need for policy-based leadership, clear guidelines and training and specific structural provisions. Many different education stakeholders are seen as having a role in preventing discrimination and bullying on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.