“Absolutely it was not safe” - Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ experiences of education in Australia

Oct 15, 2026

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The article examines Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ individuals’ lived educational experiences in Australia, focusing on how colonial and heteronormative structures shape inclusion and exclusion. It argues that Australian education policies remain outdated and are often grounded in deficit approaches that justify the absence of Indigenous and gender/sexuality diverse content in curricula, reinforcing discrimination. Using interviews and workshops with young participants, it details discriminatory curriculum and policy effects while identifying opportunities for safer, more inclusive educational environments through institutional change.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Indigenous identities and inclusion/exclusion

Colonial history and institutional discrimination

Curriculum gaps and outdated education policies

Study approach and participants

“Absolutely it was not safe”: Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ experiences of education in Australia Corrinne T. Sullivan1, Duy Tran2, Kim Spurway1, Linda Briskman1, John Leha3, William Trewlynn4 and Karen Soldatic1 1 Western Sydney University, Parramatta South Campus NSW 2116, Australia 2 ACON, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia 3 NSW Child, Family and Community Peak Aboriginal Corporation (AbSec), Marrickville NSW 2204, Australia 4 YarnnUp, South Eveleigh NSW 2015, Australia Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ individuals occupy a unique intersection of identities that inform their lived experiences and the ways in which they navigate colonial settler educational institutions. Despite a considerable body of evidence demonstrating the importance of inclusion, educational policies in Australia remain outdated. These policies are frequently informed by a deficit approach that justifies the absence of Indigenous and gender/sexuality diverse content within school curricula. This further acts to shore up discriminatory practices and policies. Using interviews and workshops held with young Indigenous LGTBIQSB+ people, this article reports on the ways participants experienced educational institutional settings. First, participants reported on the kinds of policies and curriculum content that discriminated against and marginalised them, as well as highlighting some positive aspects of school and university. Participants also revealed the potentialities for Indigenous and LGBTIQSB+ inclusivity that could be facilitated within educational spaces. The article demonstrates the need for safer and more inclusive educational environments, which could be achieved through the decentring of settler knowledges and heteronormativity, transforming educational spaces at an institutional level to facilitate safety at interpersonal and collective levels. Keywords: Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Indigenous, LGBTIQ+, education, Australia Introduction Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Indigenous) lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, sistergirl and brotherboy plus (LGBTIQSB+)1 individuals occupy a unique intersection of identities that inform their lived experiences, particularly their sense of inclusion and exclusion. Although the terms sistergirls and brotherboys, which might be used instead of the word trans, are unique to Indigenous Australians, they are not the only terms used in Indigenous communities, with many using nonIndigenous LGBTIQ+ terms to identify themselves (Sullivan, 2018; Sullivan & Day, 2021) . Communities 1 Please note that in this article we only use the initialism LGBTIQSB+ for Indigenous people in Australia. For non-Indigenous LGBTIQ+ people, we use the LGBTIQ+ initialism, as they do not include sistergirls and brotherboys. At times we also use the authors’ or their participants’ own stated identities. also use other terms in their own languages to reflect cultural meanings that cannot be directly translated into English. For example, the Koorie word Wirgul is used for women-identified LGBTIQ+ people in New South Wales (Australian Broadcasting Commission, 2023), but does not necessarily directly translate as “lesbian”. The use of Indigenous terms to identify and connect with culture has been distorted by the influence of invasion and colonial settler violence. The colonial history of the country now known as Australia and white settler enforcement of Christian and heteronormative values have framed Indigenous individuals as the “Other” within society; this is especially the case for those who are both Indigenous and LGBTIQSB+ . This has resulted in continued institutional discrimination against Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ people, including within educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities. While research on the intersections of Indigenous and LGBTIQSB+ identities within educational institutions is lacking, separate investigations of Indigenous students’ or LGBTIQ+ students’ experiences o

FAQs

What core argument does the article make about Australian education policies?

It contends that education policies are outdated and shaped by deficit approaches that justify excluding Indigenous and gender/sexuality diverse content from school curricula, thereby sustaining discriminatory practices.

How did the study collect evidence of participants’ experiences?

It uses interviews and workshops held with young Indigenous LGBTIQSB+ people to report how they experienced educational institutional settings.

What discriminatory aspects did participants highlight?

Participants described policies and curriculum content that marginalised them, while also noting some positive aspects of school and university experiences.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Kurz