Addressing Inequality Faced by Sexually Diverse Students in Educational Settings

Introduction

Sexuality is a topic that is often disregarded and overlooked by teachers across different educational settings which will be further considered in this essay to create awareness regarding this particular topic. There are a number of factors that have contributed towards this lack of consideration of this topic which includes controversy in relation to sexuality, lack of holistic educational initiatives, minimal educator training and the perception of child 'innocence'. Students across educational institutions are generally taught that the term sexuality can only be perceived and discussed by adults which eventually increases the equity and consequences for the sexually diverse students belonging to groups like Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI).

Main Body

Sexuality can be defined as the individual identity which focuses on a particular sexual behaviour and orientation. Sexual diversity is a broad concept which determines the type of sex with which a person identifies (Waling & Roffee, 2018). The statement that has been considered in this essay focuses on understanding that diversity is quite apparent across different educational settings but it is often undervalued and positioned as deficit or difficult for each individual student. Sexual diversity considers a wide range of identities of students, including but not limited to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual individuals. These identities are quite different from the basic men and women identification which raises questions in context to their identity while studying across different educational settings. the LGBTQI community have the right to education and to be free of discrimination and harassment as part of the anti-discrimination act of 1977. However, these marginalised students often face a range of inequalities during their educational process which has a direct impact on their mental and physical health (Ferfolja & Ullman, 2020).

One of the most common inequalities that can be seen in reference to sexually diverse students is the social stigma and discrimination. Several students who differ from the general population in terms of their sexual identity face a lot of discrimination from the school facilities and the teachers. There is certain evidence of physical violence and verbal harassment for the students with diverse sexuality. Students generally do not want to engage with the sexually diverse students because of their sexual orientation and thought process. There are certain stigmas and taboos that impact on the way other students think about the marginalised group. There is another inequality that is quite common in the educational institutions which is the representation and visibility for the marginalized groups like lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual individuals (Waling & Roffee, 2018).

The curriculum and the books that are practised within the educational institutions do not offer much knowledge about these sexual identities which limits the amount of knowledge that other students can have about the presence of multiple gender identities and sexual orientations. If there is an inadequate representation of these marginalised groups, then their experiences and contributions may be overlooked or invalidated. There are certain policy and legal barriers that are imposed across different educational settings which are directed towards the students belonging to different sexual orientations and gender identities. For example, if there are certain restrictions on gender expression along with limited access to inclusive facilities might create barriers to full participation in educational activities for those students (Ferfolja & Ullman, 2020).

There are several occasions where family rejection and homelessness had a direct impact on the mindset of a sexually oriented student. This inequality extends towards society from the point of view of an educational setting which can be linked in certain ways as the perception of people are against the legalisation of changing sexual orientations and representing different gender identities. If there is a lack of support from the families of these students belonging to different gender identities, then they will not be able to pay the necessary fees for their education and complete the same to get better employment opportunities (Hardie & Bowers, 2012). Sexuality is often undervalued across different educational settings because of a combination of societal norms, institutional biases, and historical factors that have been practised within the core of the society that people live in. If there are certain discussions in relation to sexuality, then it can challenge the existing power dynamics and social norms that have been developed within educational institutions over the years. Another reason for sexuality to be undervalued is the lack of education that students are provided in relation to the perception and experience of the marginalized students or groups of people that live within the same society (DePalma & Atkinson, 2009).

The above-discussed inequalities that are faced by sexually divorced students have a negative impact on their mental health and physical health to a certain extent. Depression and anxiety are quite common symptoms among these students as they are excluded from socialisation within the educational settings as they are not accepted to be a part of society. Students also develop a tendency to challenge the perception and thought process of these marginalised groups because of the gaps in awareness and education that they have grown up with. The rate of suicide attempts is also quite high for sexually divorced students when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers within the educational settings (DePalma & Atkinson, 2009). Stress, anxiety and social exclusion faced by students on a long-term basis can also have an impact on their academic achievement as well. Some negative impacts of these inequalities on sexually diverse students include lower grades, higher dropout rates, and decreased aspirations for post-secondary education.

Every student requires a certain amount of affirmation and support from their family and peers which helps them to nurture their abilities and excel in their respective careers. However, the persistence of these inequalities across different educational institutions also prevents these positive impacts of affirmation and support. If the students face inequalities within the educational settings from not only their peers but also from the school authorities then it can have certain long-term impacts on the students (Jones & Hillier, 2013). These long-term impacts include a decline in future career prospects, economic stability, and overall well-being. In general, it can be understood that students who are sexually diverse also face the difficulty of making friends. These students generally stay alone and often face events like bullying and harassment from other students. These inequalities raise a question in the minds of the marginalised students about their purpose of existence and belonging within society. Students who sustain these mindsets eventually go on to commit suicides which is a direct impact of the inequalities that are faced by the sexually diverse students.

There are certain theoretical concepts which can help in understanding these inequalities better which are faced by the sexually diverse students (Boas, 2012). The theory that is most relevant to this particular scenario highlighted in the essay is the Feminist Poststructuralist Theory. The theory helps in examining the intersections of sexuality, power, and inequity within the society. The theory believes in the reality that people hold multiple identities which reflect their interaction with power and oppression. In context to sexuality, there are certain factors like race, culture, class and nationality that have a direct influence on the perception that people have about gender and sexual orientation. There is an example that can clarify the focus of the theory. A black transgender woman will face compounded discrimination because of her race and gender identity. This explains the intersectionality that is present within society while identifying a particular sexuality.

Feminist poststructuralist theory also reflects on the role of power in shaping social relations and maintaining inequalities within society (Thein, 2013). This can extend to educational institutions as well where the policies and regulations that have been drawn by the board of directors might exclude the necessary considerations towards the marginalised group of students with diverse sexuality. The power that is practised by people across different segments of society operates through certain mechanisms like institutions, language, and disciplinary attributes which help them to regulate and control individuals' bodies, behaviours, and identities. The theory even considers the presence of resistance and non-acceptance in relation to the practices that are adopted with the power. A theoretical underpinning can be more appropriate to understand the inequalities that the sexually diverse students face while studying across different educational institutions (Thein, 2013).

The Foucauldian theory helps in understanding the operation of power within the society and the educational institutions as well. The theory helps in understanding about the origin of the inequalities that sexually diverse students generally face while studying in different schools and colleges. The theory helps in understanding the influence of norms and regulations that can be implemented across different educational institutions. The theory can also help in understanding the behaviours and subjective preferences that the students might have about a particular topic or issue. It can be seen that the policies and regulations that are imposed in a particular educational institution can have an impact on the way students behave towards sexually diverse groups (DePalma & Atkinson, 2009). If a particular school or college implements certain rules and discipline in relation to the avoidance of discrimination and the practice of equality can see drastic changes in the way students and teachers would behave towards marginalised students involving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI). Hence according to the theory of Foucauldian, the type of inequalities that are faced by the sexually diverse students within the educational setting are influenced by the people who are in power and make the decisions towards implementing different rules and regulations within the educational settings.

The teachers across different educational organisations play an important role towards supporting the sexually diverse students and involving them in different educational activities along with other students. There are certain key strategies that can be adopted by the teachers to successfully provide the necessary support. The basis has to be from education where the teachers can educate themselves to have a certain amount of knowledge about sexual diversity and LGBTQ+ issues and the type of response that these students are getting from society and the educational settings because of their sexual difference. The more a teacher can understand the experience of these students, the more they can find ways to involve them both mentally and physically in the educational process which can reduce mental health issues like depression, anxiety and loneliness (DePalma & Atkinson, 2009). The teaching materials that are being used by the teachers within the educational settings need to have a certain amount of knowledge about the rights that the sexually diverse students have and about their experiences which will increase the overall awareness that other students can have towards them. Including LGBTQ+-inclusive literature, history, and contributions across various subject areas can have a positive impact on how sexually diverse students feel while studying in an academic institution.

The teachers also have a responsibility to foster safe classrooms for sexually diverse students as it can help in welcoming and affirming all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This can also contribute towards achieving an inclusive classroom where the educational objectives of each student can be met successfully (Boas, 2012). This particular initiative can also increase the amount of respect that other students will have towards sexually diverse students and a certain amount of discipline can be implemented which will avoid any sort of bias and discrimination in relation to sexual differences. There are certain supportive resources that can be provided to the students including LGBTQ+ student groups, counselling services, or community centres which can help in understanding their mental stability while studying within the educational institution.

Conclusion
The above essay has communicated the fact that students belonging to different sexual diversity face a lot of inequalities within the educational settings which has a direct impact on their mental and physical well-being. Certain theories have been focused on during the essay which enhanced the knowledge and ideology about the current situation that sexually diverse students face across the educational settings due to their sexuality. These theories included feminist poststructuralist and Foucauldian theory. The essay has also been successful in communicating certain ways through which teachers can support sexually diverse students and prevent any sort of bias and discrimination.

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