The Declining Significance of Homophobia is, according to its author, a ‘Good News story’ (p xxv). I capitalise ‘Good News’ for reasons that shall become clear. But focusing first on the main thrust of the thesis (and there is no reference to it but I am certain this is a book written out of a PhD thesis), the ‘good news’ is how teenage boys in the UK are less homophobic than in previous eras. Good news indeed. Read the full story

Sex & Relationship education (SRE) in the UK remains a highly politicized arena. In the wake of the recent PSHE review, media sources are now reporting that new funding agreements for new free schools and academies places ‘marriage’ centre stage. As the Telegraph notes: Read the full story

There are many things to think about when considering issues around sexual identity and education. Because of the heteronormative discursive practices that dominate social institutions such as schools, non-heterosexual identities are often marginalised or invisible within schools. This is especially the case for teaching staff, many of whom feel that they have to hide their sexuality within their workplace. Read the full story

In most countries across all continents schooling at some level or another is compulsory. In most of the developed world education is mandatory from infancy to late adolescence. Schooling is then an integral part of growing up for most people whether we love or hate it, thrive in it or avoid it. Sexuality is also an integral part of most people’s lives and is linked to schooling in key ways.

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Heteronormativity is a term used by social theorists in order to discuss the way in which gender and sexuality are separated into hierarchically organised categories. It has become one of the most important ways of thinking about sexuality within the academic study of sexuality. Theorists have argued that a discourse or technique of heteronormativity has been set up, and subsequently dominates, social institutions such as the family, the state and education. Read the full story

In the first initiative of its kind in Australia, the Victorian Government has provided $80,000 to the Safe Schools Coalition Victoria (SSCV), a partnership between Rainbow Network Victoria and the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA). Read the full story