For Immediate Release: 19 September 2024
IGLYO, the world’s leading LGBTQI youth and student network, launches its LGBTQI Inclusive Education Database, a searchable online tool that incorporates good practices of LGBTQI inclusive education in areas such as school curricula, teacher training, anti-discrimination and gender affirming policies, and school participation.
Every child and young person has the right to education, health and well-being, and all forms of discrimination or violence in schools are an obstacle to these fundamental rights. Unfortunately, those of us who are, or are perceived to be, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or intersex (LGBTQI), are more likely to experience discrimination and violence in educational settings.
Some national governments in the Council of Europe have already taken significant measures to make education systems more inclusive for those of us who are LGBTQI. Over the last decade, we, IGLYO — The LGBTQI Youth & Student Organisation, have worked on benchmarking legal and policy standards on inclusive education, and have come across laws, policies and programmes that try to create safer and more inclusive education systems for LGBTQI youth.
With all the information we have gathered, we have now developed a free online LGBTQI Inclusive Education database that can be used by policymakers, civil society organisations, education professionals, youth organisations and youth activists. With this tool, we want to make sure everyone has access to some good practices that would help in protecting and promoting the rights of LGBTQI youth in education.
Accessible in several languages, the IGLYO Education Database also provides access to original resources and where they come from: national governments, civil society (either LGBTQI organisations, teachers and parents associations, or youth groups), and international and regional institutions and organisations.
Among others, you’ll find legislation and policies, inclusive curricula from formal or non-formal education, teacher training materials, awareness raising campaigns, trans and intersex specific resources, or resources on concrete themes, like comprehensive sexuality education. The database will be updated on a regular basis, so reach out to the IGLYO policy team if you have any resources that could be included.
Schools play a key role in our lives. We all have the right to education, health and well-being. We all need to be included and our fundamental rights respected. We hope our IGLYO LGBTQI Inclusive Education Database will help us create a better future for LGBTQI children and youth in education.
Rú Ávila Rodríguez (They/them)
Policy & Research Manager
ru@iglyo.org
Jeremy Gobin (He/him)
Communications & Network Manager
jeremy@iglyo.org
Founded in 1984 and based in Brussels, IGLYO is the largest member-based network in the world dedicated to LGBTQI youth and their rights. Today, we represent the voice of over 115 Member Organisations in 40 Council of Europe countries. Our work focuses on the protection, empowerment, and freedom of LGBTQI young people between 18-30 years old. www.iglyo.org
The IGLYO LGBTQI Inclusive Education Database was produced with the support of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) 2021-2027 Programme of the European Union, and the Dutch Ministry of Education Culture & Science. The contents of the database are the sole responsibility of IGLYO and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission or the Dutch Ministry.
