ABSTRACT
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) students in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand attend schools at a time when their rights and identities are made highly controversial and goals and methods for their inclusion are still under debate. This book chapter outlines how Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand only recently achieved marriage equality for same sex couples, transition supports for transgender youth, and an opening of dialogues on the problems of enforcing early “corrective” interventions for intersex youth. It describes the contributions of both countries to global and regional networking on LGBTI issues in education policies with the United Nations (including UNESCO and the UNDP) and how this helped to develop their educational policy contexts, research and support programs, and campaigns for LGBTI students. The author argues that these achievements did not come easily or without repercussions. It outlines statistical data showing that there was tension in schools in both countries over LGBTI issues during key political and media debates and when these debates were joined by local religious conservative leaders and conservative media attacking “political correctness” in each context. It discusses the imperative for schools to unlearn institutionalised homophobia, transphobia, and anti-intersex bias.
