CommitteeonHumanRightsII(DROIII

SexEducation:DespitesignificantEUeffortstoadvanceLGBTQIA+rightsinthepastdecade,the inclusionofqueertopicsinsexualityeducationremainsinadequate,furthercontributingtoLGBTQIA+ stigmatisationandhealthdisparities.Factoringintheyouth'slackofaccesstoreliablesourcesof informationonthematter,howcantheEUsupportMemberStatestowardsimplementing comprehensiveLGBTQIA+positivesexualityeducationprogramsatschools?

byTeodoraArsenović(RS)andGeorgeVagias(GR)

1. Backgroundandrelevance

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.Intheory,sexualityeducationshouldbeinclusivetowardseveryone,regardless oftheirsexuality,gender,orethnicbackground.AndwhiletheEUhasbeenafront-runnerintheefforts 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 behindthisissueisthelackof 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 reportthattheyfeelisolated,vulnerableorinvisibleintheeducationsystem.

Sexuality educationinwhichLGBTQIA+-relatedtopicsareproperlyaddressedanddiscussedisofgreat importance, both tostudentsthatidentifyasmembersofthecommunityandthosewhodonot.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 le 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, andSTIsprovidedonthewebareusually inaccurateandnon-age-appropriate,thuspotentiallyleadingtomisinformationorevenharm.

Given that Member States are primarily responsible for the content of sexuality education on a national level, all the aforementionedissuesstemmingfromthelackofCSEaremorecommonamong

11 The LGBTQIA+ acronym stands for ʻlesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual, with the (+)signrepresentinganyonewhomaynotbeincludedʼ . 12 Gender Dysphoria is a term used to describe the feeling of discomfort or distress that results from the differencebetweenoneʼsgenderidentityandtheirsexassignedatbirthorsex-relatedphysicalcharacteristics.

students in countries where the anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment is on the rise. In 2021, the Hungarian Parliament introduced a law banning LGBTQIA+-related information in schools. In a similar light, in Poland, CSE is oen used as apoliticaltoolbypoliticiansandtheirsupporters,withthecountryʼsnew curriculum guidelines perpetuating discrimination, stereotypes, and misinformation. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as in most European countries sexuality education is inadequately inclusive, given that only a few Member States have established policies, collaborated with NGOs, introduced anti-discrimination laws, and provided training to teachers, towards truly inclusive nationalsexualityeducationcurricula.

In the words of Manos Antoninis, the Director of the Global EducationMonitoringReportforUNESCO: “Schools have to be inclusive if we want society to be inclusive. ”AstheEUcontinuesitseffortstowards safeguarding LGBTQIA+ individualsʼ rights, ensuring an accessible and equal sexuality education for everyEuropeancitizenisofparamountimportance.

2. Keystakeholders

Given that the EU has a supporting competence on education, both theEuropeanCommissionand its Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) cannotdirectlydraand implement laws regardingsexualityeducation.Instead,theirroleistosupporteachMemberStateand potentially complement the steps they have already taken regarding this issue. More specifically, DG EAC is working towards an LGBTQIA+-friendly education through a variety of projects and programmes, with the most notableexamplebeingprogrammesfundedbyErasmus+ .Inaddition,the Commissionʼs Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) published a policy memo titled “Sexuality education across the European Union: an overview” , in an attempttomapoutthetoolsandmethodsusedinsexeducationindifferentMemberStates.

Member States bear the exclusive responsibility of directlydefiningandstructuringtheirrespective educationalcurricula.Assuch,theyare-perhaps-themostsignificantactorsregardingtheinclusionof LGBTQIA+-relatedcontentinsexualityeducation.

The European Unionʼs Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is an EU agency focusedonproviding independent support and advice to European bodies regarding the advancement of fundamental rights. It does so by collecting and analysing data, reviewing legislation, and fostering collaboration between important stakeholders, such as EU Institutions, Member States, and civil society organisations. In its report “A long waytogoforLGBTIequality” ,publishedin2020,theFRAconcludes thatwhilequeertopicsarebeingaddressedmoreandmorefrequentlyinschoolsinapositivemanner, therearestillalotofstepstobetakeninordertoensureaninclusivesexualityeducationforeveryone.

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) promoting equality for LGBTQIA+ individuals and raising awareness for the issues the community faces are key actors as well. The Global Alliance for LGBT Education (GALE) and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Youth & Student Organisation (IGLYO) are driving forces in the efforts for LGBTQIA+ visibility in education, advocating for safe and inclusive educational environments for all LGBTQI young individuals. For instance, IGLYO launched its LGBTQI Inclusive Education Index and Report in 2019, with the aim of highlighting the progress each European country has made towards equality in education for LGBTQIA+ youth. Furthermore, GALE introduced the acronym DESPOGI13 as a more universal way of addressing individuals excluded from education for both educational and policy purposes, while it also created a 15-pointchecklistthatcanbeusedtoassessaneducationalsystemʼs inclusivity. Additionally, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex AssociationEurope (ILGA-Europe) also strives for LGBTQIA+ equality in Europe, through its collaboration with variousEuropeanOrganisations.

ClickheretoviewthisStakeholderMaponMiro.

13 DESPOGIstandsforʻDisadvantagedbecauseoftheirExpressionofSexualPreferenceOrGenderedIdentityʼ .

3. Challengesandmeasuresinplace

Lackofstandardisation

Since theEUdoesnothavethecompetencetoproposeeducationpolicies,bothcontentandqualityof sexuality education solelydependonthelocalauthoritiesandschoolsʼdeterminationineachMember State. This absence of standardisation leads to young people getting vastly different sexuality education depending on the Member State and area they live in. In Austria, sexuality education is mandatory, and parents are includedinthewholeprocess,whileinDenmark,externalexpertssuchas sex workers, LGBTQIA+ or HIV-positivepersonsareinvitedtospeakinschoolsabouttheirexperiences. On theotherhand,Bulgariaincorporatedsexualityeducationintothenationalcurriculumjustin2018, whilesexualityeducationisstilloptionalineightMemberStates. Certain Member States have initiated action plans and frameworks to systematise national curricula, such as Luxembourgʼs 2019 Action plan, which aims to support young peopleʼs emotional developmentandactagainstdiscrimination,gender-basedviolence,andsexualabuse.Additionally,in order to make the implementation of CSE easier, the World HealthOrganisation(WHO)haspublished various guidelines and information about sexuality education intended for young people, teachers, policymakers, and professionals. One of the most notable ones is “Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe” which provides practical support and identifiesskills,conceptsandcontentthatshouldbe emphasisedinsexualityeducationinEuropeancountries. Finding a solution to this challenge, in order to alignthesexeducationcurriculaofallMemberStates, and ensuring their inclusivity, is by no means going to be an easy task for the Union. In the casethat countries fail to cooperate towards achieving this common goal, the European Commission could choose to directly intervene with the aim to resolve the issue. This could be achieved through the introduction of specific directives and measures urging Member States to fully uphold the Ministerial Call for Action and theEUʼsLGBTIQEqualityStrategy2020-2025-bothofwhichhighlightthenecessity of an LGBTQIA+-friendly education, among others - or even through the creation of a common European sexuality education curriculum. Aer all, the right to education should be safeguarded for every European citizen. However, such a decision could be met with backlash and resistance from governments, since they are the ones mainly tasked with shaping theirnationaleducationalsystems. Additionally, with education being “a sub-system of society” , such a straightforward intervention to a countryʼs education could bring long-standing societal issues to the forefront, or even be seen as a challengetoastate'svaluesandtradition.

Moralconflictsregardingtheimportanceandcontentofsexeducation

A significant challenge in delivering comprehensive sexuality education is the abstinence14 -only programscarriedoutbyschoolsinsomeMemberStates,suchasIreland.Sexualhealthadvocatesand their opposers disagree on whether providing youngpeoplewithfullandaccurateinformationmakes them more or less likely to engage in sexual activity and whether that is healthy or not. Groups that criticise CSE argue that it encourages promiscuity, abortion, disrespect for parents, and undermines religious and cultural values. These groups oen promote abstinence until marriage as the onlyright path for young people. However, research shows that abstinence-only programs are ineffective at delaying the initiation of sexual intercourse or reducing dangerous sexual behaviours. Furthermore, researchers from Columbia UniversityexplainedthatsuchprogramsfrequentlyignoretheLGBTQIA+ students, leave young people unprepared, and are particularly harmful to young people who are sexuallyactive,LGBTQIA+orhaveexperiencedsexualabuse. Additionally, despite the notable progress many Member States have made in the past decade, there has been an uprising of various groups opposing mandatory sexuality education in schools. The resistance is even more apparent when it comes to the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ issues in the sexuality education curricula. In 2020, the current Polish president pledged to ban education on LGBTQIA+ topics in schools, while in Birmingham, religious communitiesandparentsorganisedprotestsinfront of schools that were teaching students about same-sex relationships and transgender issues in their sexualityeducationcourses. There are several external organisations thatcouldgreatlyenhancethecontentofsexualityeducation and ensure its fairness towards everyone, through their collaboration with schools and the provision of their expertise in the field. In Ireland, some schools cooperate with organisations that provide comprehensive sexual health information, such as the IrishFamilyPlanningAssociation,invitingtheir representatives to deliver lectures or host workshops. In addition, a review of the current Irish sexuality education curricula led to the suggestion that the subjectʼs future should be more holistic and LGBTQIA+-friendly, among others, rather than promoting abstinence. Similarly, the European Youth Network on Sexual and Reproductive Rights - YouAct has brought together young Europeans from various Member States, aiming to raise awareness on the sexual rights of young individualsand ensure that they have adequate access to accurate and inclusive sexual information. An example of their advocacy is the creation of the webinar “Beyond blackboard & chalk: Innovative Knowledge Delivery & Advocacy” , which aims to address the lackofCSEinPolandanddiscusswaystomodernise thecountryʼssexualityeducationcurricula.

Inadequatesexualityeducationathome

Another vital way young people get sexuality education, especially where thereisnoneorinsufficient

14 Abstinence refers to a practice of consciously refraining from any kind of sexual intercourseoractivities,for variouspurposessuchashealthorreligiousreasons.

sexuality education in schools,isthroughtheirparents.But,despiteresearchandhealthprofessionals advocating for the importance of sexuality education at home, this topic remains a taboo subject in many households. Some of the main issues parents have with CSE are that it allegedly deprives children of their childhood innocence, challenges political, religious, cultural and ethnic values, and results in the early onsetofsexualactivity.Besides,parentsoenfeelembarrassed,uncomfortable,or do not have the skills or knowledge needed for carrying such conversations with their children.Allof the factors mentionedabovecanmakeparentsopttheirchildrenoutofsexualityeducationorprovide them with factually inaccurate information that complies with their religious or cultural beliefs. As a result, this can affect young peopleʼs access to comprehensive sexuality education, their relationship withsexualityingeneral,andtheirsexualdevelopment. Non-GovernmentalOrganisations(NGOs)playaveryimportantroleincombattingmisinformationand inadequate sexuality education of both children and parents, as they oen assist schools in teaching sexuality education through seminars, workshops, and campaigns. Countdown 2030 Europe is an association of European NGOs working on ensuring that sexual and reproductive health is a funding and policy priority in Europe. Likewise, the School of Sexuality Education delivers age-appropriate andLGBTQIAinclusivesexeducationworkshopstohighschoolersalongwithschoolstafftraining.

4. Furtherquestions

● What are the benefits of comprehensive and inclusive sexuality education for all students, regardlessoftheirgenderand/orsexuality? ● What steps should the EU take, if any, to support its Member States towards a more standardised,LGBTQIA+-friendlysexualityeducationcurriculum? ● How can a more holistic approach towards sexual education be promoted in schools that encourageabstinence? ● How can the EU cooperate effectively with and support the work of organisations and NGOs aimingtopromoteCSEacrossEurope?

5. Oneforall,allforone

While sexuality education curricula can vary significantly depending on eachMemberStateʼspolicies, some European countries have already takenactionstowardsanLGBTQIA+inclusivesexeducation.In Germany, children as young as 5 years old may be attending CSE, with various discussions regarding queer topics or even STDs included. Additionally, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands are some of the countries that have established action plans, knowledge-bases, and/or projects aiming to raise LGBTQIA+ awareness among teachers. For instance, in Norway, actions have been taken aiming to educate citizensonthechallengesthatLGBTQIA+individualsfacesince2008,withitsrecentlyupdated

form also including measures concerning Norwegian intersex citizens for the first time.Moreover,the countryʼs Ministry for Education actively supports a project called “Pink Competency” that educates teachers on gender identity and norms, sexual orientation, and varied types of families, always in accordance with the curriculum. It is worth mentioning that Norwayʼs government has expressed its willingness to expand the countryʼs LGBTQIA+-related actions to a European level as well, thus creatinganopportunityforcooperationandpractice-exchangebetweenMemberStates.

Furthermore, NGOs are playing a truly important role in promoting a fairer and more equitable sexuality education towards every Europeancitizen.InPortugal,theEdSexproject,whichwascreated by an NGO named Casa Qui, emphasises on raising awareness and exchanging best practices regardingamoreinclusivesexeducationtowardsLGBTQIA+individuals.Anotherimportantinitiativeis that of the Onassis Foundation in Greece, a country in which sexuality education was not even compulsory until 2021. Through organising the “Onassis Sexuality Education Day” seminar, the foundation aimed to spark discussions concerning a potentially more comprehensive future for sexualityeducationinGreekschools.

6. Materialforfurtherresearch

EssentialEngagement

- WatchthisvideobyCBSNewsregardingthebenefitsofanLGBTQIA+inclusivesexuality educationforallstudents - ReadthisarticlebyAreWeEuropeaboutthefutureofLGBTQIA+sexeducationinEurope - WatchthisvideobyBBCNewsnightaboutparentsopposingtheinclusionofLGBTQIA+topicsin sexualeducationintheUK

AdditionalEngagement

- ReadthisarticlebyEuronewsaboutHungaryʼsnewanti-LGBTQIA+ ,notoriouslyhomophobiclaw, fromtheviewpointoftheHungarianSecretaryofStateforInternationalCommunicationand

Relations - ReadthisarticlebyPinkNewsonhowanLGBTQIA+-inclusivesexeducationactuallybenefits children - WatchthisvideobyBBCNewsnightabouttheclashbetweenLGBTQIA+andreligiousgroups regardingsexualeducation