Committee on Human Rights II (DROI II) Sex Education: Despite significant EU efforts to advance LGBTQIA+ rights in the past decade, the inclusion of queer topics in sexuality education remains inadequate, further contributing to LGBTQIA+ stigmatisation and health disparities. Factoring in the youth's lack of access to reliable sources of information on the matter, how can the EU support Member States towards implementing comprehensive LGBTQIA+ positive sexuality education programs at schools? by Teodora Arsenović (RS) and George Vagias (GR)
1. Background and relevance Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) educates people on consent, gender equality, sexual abuse, sexuality, and reproductive health, making it a crucial factor in protecting young people's health and well-being. In theory, sexuality education should be inclusive towards everyone, regardless of their sexuality, gender, or ethnic background. And while the EU has been a front-runner in the efforts towards societal acceptance and integration of queer individuals, young people are taught about LGBTQIA+11 issues in only 16 Member States. One of the main reasons behind this issue is the lack of standardisation of the sexuality education curricula amongst Member States, as content, aims, and focuses vary significantly from region to region. Thus, a significant number of LGBTQIA+ people report that they feel isolated, vulnerable or invisible in the education system. Sexuality education in which LGBTQIA+-related topics are properly addressed and discussed is of great importance, both to students that identify as members of the community and those who do not. Some of the main issues that queer individuals face, such as bullying, anti-LGBTQIA+ harassment, and hostile school environments, could potentially be traced to a lack of diversity in the sexuality education curricula. In addition, as their needs within sexuality education are being overlooked, LGBTQIA+ adolescents are left at an alarmingly high risk of substance abuse, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), gender dysphoria12, and teen pregnancies. Unsurprisingly, since schools fail to provide them with the necessary information regarding sexual health, LGBTQIA+ youth may resort to online resources. However, data related to sexuality, health, and STIs provided on the web are usually inaccurate and non-age-appropriate, thus potentially leading to misinformation or even harm. Given that Member States are primarily responsible for the content of sexuality education on a national level, all the aforementioned issues stemming from the lack of CSE are more common among 11
The LGBTQIA+ acronym stands for ‘lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual, with the (+) sign representing anyone who may not be included’. 12 Gender Dysphoria is a term used to describe the feeling of discomfort or distress that results from the difference between one’s gender identity and their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics. 27
