Sexual orientation remains a taboo subject in schools, leaving students in the dark An interview with Shigeyoshi Suzuki, 39, a public elementary school teacher in Tokyo who is an advocate for LGBT rights and an openly gay man. Suzuki believes Japan lags behind in gender equality education and calls for a greater support for LGBT-inclusive sex education. The article also looks at his experiences of coming out as gay in an elementary school in Tokyo and at the work of the organisation ReBit to challenge gender stereotypes in school education in Japan. Japan Times, Jun 16, 2017.
At last, a generation of schoolchildren will grow up knowing it’s OK to be LGBT by Paul Twocock, from Guardians, Sep 2019. "Schools couldn’t even acknowledge the existence of gay people, let alone talk about the challenges we faced – I felt totally isolated and afraid of being found out. ...I had few role models and was left feeling ashamed of who I was. During my entire school career I couldn’t accept my sexuality, let alone be open about it."
*My Teacher Said I Had a Disease -Barriers to the Right to Education for LGBT Youth in Vietnam- from Human Rights Watch, Feb 2020. "...Vietnam’s sex education policies and practices fall short of international standards and do not include mandatory discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity. ...While some teachers and schools take it upon themselves to include such lessons, the lack of national-level inclusion leaves the majority of students in Vietnam without the basic facts about sexual orientation and gender identity.
All Of Us is a ground-breaking educational resource which will allow teachers in classrooms across Australia to discuss and support gender diversity, sexual diversity and intersex topics. It is approved by the Australian Government. Read more about. Download the All of Us information pack here
All of Us is from Minus18 a support network for young LGBT people in Australia that does work on educational issues, with schools and for sexual minority students.
LGBTQI Inclusive Education Index (downloads as pdf) and LGBTQI Inclusive Education Report (also downsloads as a pdf) from IGLYO (International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organisation). See also IGLYO launches the LGBTQI Inclusive Education Index & Report
SOGI 1 2 3 helps educators make schools in British Columbia, Canada inclusive and safe for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI). At a SOGI-inclusive school, students' biological sex does not limit their interests and opportunities, and their sexual orientation and how they understand and express their gender are welcomed without discrimination.
Japan’s Missed Opportunity to Support LGBT Children: At Least 10 More Years of Official Silence on LGBT Lives in Schools The Japanese government has missed an opportunity to introduce information about sexual and gender minorities to classrooms during a once-in-a-decade review of its national educational curriculum. Instead, the government said in March that including information about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) lives is “difficult” because “the public and guardians have not accepted” this topic yet. Human Rights Watch Japan, 27 Apr 2017
ReBit A NPO which is supporting Young LGBT people. The website has sections on LGBT education and job hunting. More than 300 young people (Not only LGBT people) are participating in this organization.
First LGBT-inclusive textbooks for elementary schools in Japan Schools could start using them in spring next year. Gay Star News, 28 Mar 2019.
Books teaching elementary school students about LGBTQ issues grab spotlight A number of books aimed at teaching elementary school children about issues concerning the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community have been published recently in an effort to deepen understanding about sexual minorities in Japan. Kyodo News, 19 Jul 2017.
Teacher slammed for classroom comments offensive to LGBT people An elementary school teacher uttered phrases offensive to LGBT people such as "Who's the faggot?" during a fifth-grade lesson here, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned. The Mainichi, June 20, 2017.
Japan’s School Uniform Shift Will Help LGBT Students Some Japanese schools are introducing uniforms designed less around traditional gender stereotypes and more with respecting gender expression by allowing students to choose their attire – a major benefit for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth whose identities and expressions sometimes resist those social norms. Human Rights Watch, 20 Jun 2018.
Many schools failing to promote own LGBT consultation services: survey This article looks at schools which have set up support or consultation services about gender and sexual diversity following a call for such services by the Ministry of Education, but finds that many schools don't make these services known to students. The Mainichi, 3 Sep 2018.
Over 60% of LGBTQ high schoolers in Mie Pref. experienced bullying: survey The survey also found that over 30% of LGBTQ students had enggaged in self-harm. The Mainichi, March 29, 2018
School uniforms go unisex as Japanese schools seek better fit for LGBT students An emerging number of Japanese schools are introducing unisex uniforms or flexible uniform codes in an effort to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. This article looks at the approaches taken by different schools around Japan and also at how a company that designs and makes uniforms is responding. Japan Times, Jun 21, 2018.【この記事は中央大学図書館データベースを通して閲覧できる可能性があります。詳細はこちら】
Teaching LGBT Rights in Japan: Learning from Classroom Experiences A longer, more academic article that discusses the recognition of LGBT rights in Japan generally and the author's experience of and suggestions for teaching about LGBT rights in university classes in Japan. Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA), no date but maybe 2016.
Japanese Universities Make Efforts to Be More LGBT Friendly Schools in Japan are taking steps to support equal access to education for LGBT students. This article looks in particular at Ochanomizu Women's University and other Women's Universities that have decided to accept transgender students. The Diplomat, 06 Jul 2018.
Japan: School holds ‘Sex Change Day’ for students A high school in Japan held a ‘Sex Change Day’ this week – where boys dressed in skirts, and girls wore suits and ties. Pink News, 14 Dec 2014. See also this article from Kotaku.com, Japanese High School Holds "Sex Change Day"
We are here, living together in the same space ~Calling for Revisions to Textbooks that Harm LGBT Youth ~ / クラスに必ず1人いる子のこと、知ってますか？〜セクシュアル・マイノリティの子どもたちを傷つける教科書の訂正を求めます〜 A campaign in 2016/17 to have more accurate information about LGBT people and issues in school textbooks in Japan. The Ministry of Education rejected this call - see the article below.
"人間と生"教育研究協議会 A group of Japanese teachers researching and sharing ways to teach about sexuality issues and support the development of students' sexuality in schools.
*California wants to teach kindergartners about gender identity. Seriously. From the Washington Times, May 2019.