This book examines young trans and gender diverse Australians’ views of school-based sex education. The analysis is informed by a queer epistemology that acknowledges the systematic and institutional erasure of trans subjectivities through highly medicalised systems of categorisation. Drawing on primary qualitative data, the author emphasises the accounts of trans and gender diverse young people as they relate to sex education at school, and how they undertake informal learning about sex, gender and identity in other areas of their lives.Ultimately, the book problematises the assumption that the sex education classroom is the most appropriate vehicle for social justice education in relation to queer issues. Queer issues and sex education tend to be packaged together discursively, deliberately or by association in dominant media narratives. However, this discourse constrains queer identities to the realm of sex and health, and therefore does not engage with the social citizenship of queer people. Further, this limits the capacity of schools and teachers to meaningfully explore diversity in the classroom, as sex education is front-and-centre in the so called ‘culture wars’ about gender, sexuality, youth and schools.

This Briefs is the first national study on female-to-male (FtM) transgender people’s experiences in Australia. It describes an extensive study that fills the current gap in Australian research on the specific experiences and beliefs about transition for contemporary Australian FtM transgender people. Following an overview of current literature on the various aspects of and approaches to transgender issues, this briefs describes in detail the design, participants and findings of the study. The Briefs offers useful statistics and stories related to participants' identities, education, health, sexual and social lives. It ends with recommendations to all those working in the various offices and institutions that FtM transgender people encounter in their everyday life, and represents and invaluable resource for researchers, service providers and gender diverse communities alike.

Offering both practical advice for teachers, counsellors, and administrators, and provocative essays on the politics of gender in schools, this collection brings together established and emerging scholars of trans issues in education. As more young people identify as trans, or outside normative gender categories, schools must find ways to support their educational success. The authors in this volume explore the diverse experiences of trans youth in schools and insist on understanding trans experiences intersectionally. The chapters grapple with policies, procedures, curricula, and administrative practices that too often neglect the needs of trans students; but also present stories about the ordinary challenges and pleasures that trans youth experience in adolescence. This volume will be of interest to all inclusivity-minded educators and scholars of trans youth. This book was originally published as a special issue of Sex Education.

This expert guide to working with transgender and gender variant youth offers ways to make positive change to service provision for practitioners working with this group. Based on the latest research, the recommendations made by the author are backed up by statistics and data, and refer to first-hand stories and experiences. Exploring four key areas - mental health, physical health, sexual health and social health - the book sets out exactly what professionals need to know in relation to these areas and how to support trans youth in these circumstances. Providing clarity on a range of topics, this is the perfect overview for practitioners, as well as a useful text for students and researchers.

This fully revised third edition explores the childhood and adolescent experiences of transgender persons, providing foundational knowledge for social workers and related professions about working with trans and gender expansive youth. Organized through the lens of four distinct forms of knowledge – knowledge of lived expertise, community-based knowledge, practice knowledge, and knowledge obtained through formal/traditional education – this text balances discussion of theory with a range of rich personal narratives and case studies. Updates and additions reflect recent changes to the WPATH guidelines and the NASW Code of Ethics, include brand new material examining the origins of gender identity and non-binary identities, explore intersectional identities, and offer expanded content considering trauma-informed interventions and ethical issues. Each featuring at least one trans or gender expansive author, chapters present concrete and practical recommendations to encourage competent and positive practice. With a focus on both macro and micro social work practice, this book will be a valuable resource to any social service practitioners working with children or adolescents.

This book showcases and celebrates the work of Gender and Sexuality Education scholars in order to challenge current negative interpretations of the field, and work towards new shared visions. The editors and contributors call for, affirm and offer examples of pathways towards exciting and dynamic collaborative work in Gender and Sexuality in Education. In doing so, they also acknowledge the various complexities of this field, and detail the context-specific barriers faced by academics and activists. Drawing upon a range of global case studies, this book sets out information and advice from cross-sector experts to set an agenda of mutual supportiveness, and to smooth pathways for future collaboration. Above all, this book is a call to action to uplift the field – and each other – in challenging environments. This ground-breaking book will be of interest and value to scholars of Gender and Sexuality Education research.

This book addresses an emerging and vital field of scholarship, which deals with transgender- and gender-expansive-informed education, policy, and practice. The collection provides a framework for thinking about the relevance of Transgender Studies for the field of education and specifically for K-12 schooling contexts. It argues for the need to engage transgender-informed epistemologies and provides insight into trans-affirmative education research, policy contexts, and practices with the view to generating knowledge about how the experiences of transgender and non-binary youth, gender non-conformity, and gender-creative expression are being addressed in the education system. Topics addressed range from trans-informed policy analysis and enactment across various contexts to addressing central concerns and polemics related to the policing and regulation of students’ gender identities and expression, with respect to washroom space in schools and the use of gender-neutral pronouns. The book is timely and pertinent, especially given that transphobia and addressing gender justice in the education system have been identified as significant human rights issues which require urgent intervention. Overall, this collection points to both the productive potentialities of this emerging body of research, and the limitations and challenges that need to continue to be addressed in the realization of a commitment to enacting a critical trans politics in education. This book was originally published as a special issue of Gender and Education.