INCLUSIVE GENDER AND

SEX EDUCATION

Curriculum Project Presentation

by Rajmanpreet and Sanjot
 Agenda

REASONS FOR NOT BEING A NEED AND BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

WHAT SCHOOL
PART OF INDIAN IMPORTANCE CURRICULUM AND HOW
CURRICULUM FOR INCLUSION.
(HISTORY)
 REASONS FOR NOT BEING A PART OF
INDIAN CURRICULUM
❑ Still considered as a taboo and immoral by society due to lack of knowledge,
social and religious beliefs, and cultural barriers

❑ The apparent protests against the discussion of LGBTQ2S+ content in public

schools by religious conservatives or others who oppose their social acceptance
(Jennings, & Macgillivray, 2011).
❑ Still avoided due to the fear of being opposed, discriminated, stigmatized, and
victimised

❑ Non tolerance, non acceptance and parents opposition

 Continued…
❑ Even in the 21st century, the modern society identifies LGBTQ2S+
community as psychotic because of their choice of diverse sexual
orientations.

❑ Many individuals do not accept the diversity in their sexual orientations

because of the fear of rejection, intimidation, victimization or family
repudiation (Hanımoğlu, 2018).

❑ Even after abolition of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, people
lack openness to talk about their feelings in public. According to
Section 377, criminalises sexual intercourse that is penile and non
vaginal, deeming it against the order of nature
 Continued…

❏ In India, due to unclear and misunderstood concept and vocabulary, the

LGBTQ2S+ community is known as Hijra, which is in general
considered as transgender (Ghosh, 2015).

❏ However, the constant marginalisation of LGBTQ2S+ community has

led to the need of making this sensitive issue a part of curriculum.

❏ Despite considering as homonormative, it is still understood in the

context of hetrosexuality and diverse cultural patterns.
 Need and Importance for Inclusion
★ Worrisome trend of increasing violence and outbreak threats in schools
○ Name-calling, bullying and harassment are common occurrences

★ A need to assist LGBTQ2S+ community in building self acceptance

○ By educating them
○ By educating people and peers

★ To make them feel welcomed in school premises

○ 30% of marginalised people reported being socially outcasted from being the part of educational
activities (Hanımoğlu, 2018).

★ To treat with respect and fairness

○ Unintentionally marginalised
○ Way to introduce linguistic and behavioural guidelines, Gender-neutral terms for the people
involved in education
Continued…
★ To make school environment a safe place
○ Responsibility of the officials
○ More than 60% students and about 34.8% students do not feel safe at the schools
due to their different sexual preference and their sexual expression respectively
(GLSEN, 2008 in Murphy, 2012).
○ Almost 60% to 80% LGBTQ2S+ youth has faced victimisation at education
premises due to their sexually diverse nature (D’Augelli, 2006; Elze, 2003;
Pilkington & D’Augelli, 1995 in Murphy, 2012).

★ To reduce the issues of peer-rejection, harassment and abuse

○ For their holistic development
○ Upliftment of their academic and social lives (Patterson, 2013) as they suffer
academically due to non acceptance
★ Recent research shows LGBTQ2S+ topics are ignored and given
very less attention (Jennings, & Macgillivray, 2011).
Implementation in the Curriculum
Framework
★ Context: LGBTQ2S+ Inclusive curriculum
★ Demographic: India
★ Applicable: Secondary and High Schools (specifically 10th grade)
★ Chosen core subject: Science
 Current Curriculum Framework
● Education- strong correlation with social and economic development
○ Inclusive education- for upward social mobilization, privatisation and social inclusion
○ Key goal- To ensure that all students gain access to knowledge, skills, and information that will prepare
them to contribute to the world’s communities and workplaces (Bhan, & Rodricks, 2012).
● Includes Multicultural Education(ME) but excludes LGBTQ2S+ learners
● It is apparent from watershed volume by Banks and Banks (2004), Handbook of research on multicultural
education,
■ most comprehensive review of multicultural education research to date,
■ exemplifies the centrality of race, diversity
○ However, there is little justification for excluding LGBT people from the multicultural education
 Limitations of Current Curriculum
Framework
★ However, aim of universal schooling to all has remained elusive, because when it comes to
gender inequalities its societal meaning limits to male and female
★ Unequal social, economic and power/ political forces’ equations deeply impact a child’s
education and his participation in learning process
★ In India, inclusive education limits to- homeless children (pavement dwellers, displaced/evicted,
refugees etc.), migrant children, street and runaway children, orphaned or abandoned children,
working children, child beggars, children of prostitutes, trafficked children, children in
jails/prisons, children affected by conflict, children affected by natural disasters, children affected
by HIV/AIDS, children suffering from terminal diseases, disabled children, children belonging to
the Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Bhan, & Rodricks, 2012)
★ Does not mention about Gender Identities
 Prospective Curriculum Framework
★ Text used for courses are the best
○ To achieve the goal of Inclusive Education,
○ To address negative attitudes against LGBTQ2S+ people
(Jennings, & Macgillivray, 2011)
★ Since in India, most of the teachers rely on text books to structure
their classes, so it would be better to add amount of LGBTQ2S+
content in textbooks.
○ exclusion of this from textbook implicits a message
Exclusion of LGBTQ2S+ group (Jennings, & Macgillivray,
2011).
○ Demands its inclusion to promote inclusive school
environment
 Prospective Curriculum Framework

★ Discussions of sexual orientations and transgender identity should

occur inside official curricula to achieve diversity and inclusion goals.
★ Concepts of Homophobia(fear of sexual orientation and gender
identity differences); Heterosexism (the belief that everyone is and
should be heterosexual and have a traditional male or female gender
identity); and Heteronormativity (the view that heterosexuality is the
normal sexual orientation) (Jennings, & Macgillivray, 2011).
 Direction to achieve the inclusive
objective
★ Objective discussion of sexual orientation and gender in a general
way
★ Explore the relationship between gender stereotype and barriers
which exists when participating in STEM subjects
★ Talk about relationships and safe sex in science class under sex
education awareness program s
★ Introduce inclusive language and concepts (terminology)
★ Allow students to discuss and examine their personal beliefs
Continued…

★ Use of a legal framework to outline responsibilities of a teacher for

inclusion of LGBTQ2S+ content
★ Examples of LGBTQ2S+ youth adults who are happy, empowered, well-
adjusted
★ Mention the contributions made by the LGBTQ2S+ scientists and
figures in related disciplines
★ Guest speakers from LGBTQ2S+ organizations to share
★ discussions and assignments addressing multiple and intersecting
identities to pay a great deal of attention to diversity in sexual orientation
and gender identities
 Benefits
★ May not feel confused/ thorough understanding
○ education of homosexuality and hetrosexuality

★ Make them feel supported and protected

○ peers and society may start accepting
○ would not feel ignored
○ treat them like a deserving citizen by including equity aspect in the curriculum

★ Bring positivity in their lives

○ by promoting anti- bullying in schools and colleges
○ No name-calling

★ Would help to promote safe and healthy school environment

★ Incorporation of this topic in curriculum would eventually prepare teachers to effectively work
with LGBTQ2S+ learners
 Challenges

➢ Nowadays, it has become a dilemma even for institutions

while defining educational objectives due to the continuous
debate between society’s norms especially religion based
and to ensure safety of LGBTQ2S+ youth. As a result, no
effective measures are taken for the latter (Renn, 2010 in
Hanımoğlu, 2018).

➢ Schools accommodate for students with increasingly

diverse backgrounds, needs, interests and abilities
 Conclusion
★ This approach could assure equal representation of LGBTQ2S+
community, so that they will never left unnoticed based on their
sexual orientations and gender identities.
★ Kumashiro (2001) contends that
“Troubling” the intersections of multiple identities and
experiences, such as race and sexual orientation, should be central
to multicultural education
★ Asher (2007) adds:
“A multicultural pedagogy that engages the intersecting tensions
of race, culture, gender, and sexuality in critical, dialogical, and self-
reflexive ways goes beyond the limited scope of race and culture.”
 References
Bhan, S., & Rodricks, S. (2012). Indian perspective on child's right to education. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 69, 367-376.

Ghosh, A. (2015). LGBTQ1 Activist Organizations as ‘Respectably Queer In India: Contesting a Western View. Gender, Work and Organization, 22(1).

Hanımoğlu, E. (2018). The Role of School Psychologists in addressing Challenges Facing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
(LGBT) Students. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 7(1), 23-29.

Jennings, T., & Macgillivray, I. K. (2011). A content analysis of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender topics in multicultural education
textbooks. Teaching Education, 22(1), 39-62.

Murphy, H. E. (2012). Improving the lives of students, gay and straight alike: Gay‐straight alliances and the role of school psychologists.
Psychology in the Schools, 49(9), 883-891.

Patterson, C. J. (2013). Schooling, sexual orientation, law, and policy: Making schools safe for all students. Theory Into Practice, 52(3),
190-195.

Rao, T. S., & Jacob, K. S. (2014). The reversal on gay rights in India. Indian journal of psychiatry, 56(1), 1.
Thanks…..
Questions???