Sexualityandgenderbasedbullyinginschools
Anequalopportunityfactsheetforstudents
Whatissexualityandgenderbasedbullying?
Sexualityandgenderbasedbullyingcanbesimilartosexualharassmentorsexualorientationdiscrimination.
Itcanbesuggestivecommentsorjokes,insultsor
Isitagainstthelaw?
Yes,oftenitis!
Ifthebullyingbehaviourissexualinnatureitmaybesexualharassment.
Justasitmaybesexualorientationdiscriminationifsomeonehasbeentreatedlessfavourablybystafforotherstudentsbecauseoftheirsexualityortheirperceived
sexuality.
Ifyoufeelthatyouorsomeoneyouknowhasbeenharassedordiscriminatedagainstyoushouldtalk
toastaffmemberyoucantrust.
Ifthisdoesn’twork,youorthepersonbeingbulliedcanlodgeacomplaintwiththeEOCortheAustralianHumanRightsCommission.
taunts,pictures,emailsortextssentbythebullyandintrusivequestionsaboutaperson’sprivatelife.
Itcanevenbeuseoflanguagesuchasanotherstudentsaying,“that’ssogay”.
“Itcanbereallyhardtobeoutatschool.
WhenmygirlfriendandIwere
bullied,ithelpedtotalkaboutitwithmymumandteachers."Alex
WherecanIgoforhelp?
Yourschool
Approachastaffmemberyoucantrust
FreedomCentre PH:(08)92280354
AIDSCouncilPH:(08)94820000
EqualOpportunityCommission PH:(08)92163900
TTY:(08)92163936/TollFree:1800198149
AustralianHumanRightsCommission Telephone:(02)92849600
ComplaintsInfoline:1300656419
Parents,FamilyFriendsofLesbiansGays
(PFLAG)pflaHelpline(08)92281005
WAGenderProject
MYTH:Homosexualitycanbechanged
MythBusting!
inacommittedrelationshipwithonepersoneither!
FACT:Psychologistsagreethattryingtochange
aperson’ssexualityisharmful.Peoplecannotbe
‘cured’frombeinggayjustastheycannotbe
‘recruited’tobegay,lesbian,bisexualorheterosexual.
MYTH:Gaymenlesbiansdon’thavelong-termrelationships.
FACT:Gay,lesbianandbisexualpeoplecanbeinlongtermrelationships,beamemberofalovingfamilyandapartofthewidercommunity.
MYTH:Bisexualsjustcan’tmakeuptheirmind.FACT:Thepointistheyhave!Sexualityisarangebetweenexclusivelygayandexclusivelyheterosexual,andmanypeoplearenaturallyinbetween.Beingbisexualdoesn’tmeanyoucannotbe
“Beproudofwhoyouare!”Claire
MYTH:Transpeopleareconfusedabouttheirgender.
FACT:Transpeoplefeelverysureaboutwhatgendertheyare.Iftheyweren’t,theywouldn’triskexposuretobullyingtoliveasthatgender.
MYTH:Ifapersoniswithanotherpersonofthesamesextheymustbegay.
FACT:Sexualitycanbefluidandsomepeopleexperimentwiththeirsexuality,thisdoesnotmeantheyarenecessarilygay.
MYTH:Allgaymenare‘flaming’oreffeminateand
alllesbiansarebutch.
FACT:Lesbiansandgaymenhavethesamerangeofgenderexpressionasheterosexualpeople
“Myteachers’silencegavethehomophobestheokay.”Stephen
GlossaryofTerms
gender-Thesenseofselfassociatedwithcultural
definitionsofmasculinityandfemininity.
sexuality-Sexualityisacentralaspectofbeinghumanthroughoutlifeandencompassessex,genderidentitiesandroles,sexualorientation,eroticism,pleasure,intimacyandreproduction.sexually-Sexualinnature.
diversity-Stateofbeingdiverseordifferent.sexualorientation-Aperson’ssexualidentityinrelationtothegendertowhichtheyareattracted.trans-Atermincludingtranssexualandtransgender.
transgender-Atermusedtodescribeabroad
rangeofgenderidentitiesand/orbehaviours.Thisusuallyincludesalltranspeople,butsometranssexualorothergenderdiversepeopleprefernottousethisterm.
transsexual-Apersonwholivesastheoppositesextotheoneassignedatbirthandwhomaychoosetoundergohormonetherapyorsurgery.intersex-Apersonbornwithreproductiveorgans,genitalia,hormonesand/orsexchromosomesthatarenotexclusivelymaleorfemale.
Disclaimer:
Thematerialonthisfactsheetisnotintendedtobelegal
advice.TheCommissionerexpresslydisclaimsanyliabilityin
respecttoanythingdoneornotdonetoanypersoninreliance
uponanyofthecontentsofthispublication.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
ADDRESS: LEVEL 2, 141 ST GEORGE’S TERRACE PERTH WA 6000
TELEPHONE: 08 9216 3900 FREECALL: 1800 198 149
WEBSITE: