Tamil Nadu: Govt To Include LGBTQIA+ Issues In School Curricula, Aims To Work Towards Inclusivity

In a significant step toward strengthening the LGBTQIA+ community, the Tamil Nadu state government has informed the Madras high court that laws to protect the rights of these community members would be announced and put into force by month's end.

Moreover, to educate society about the queer community, the government is addressing the issue at the grassroots level; challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community will soon be included in the school curricula.

Educating Teachers & Children

The state government has stated that besides introducing the issues in the academic curriculum, teachers too will be given training on how to address the topic. They will also be sensitised about the community and the numerous challenges it faces in society.

"More than one lakh teachers have benefited through the virtual training given and such training will be given from time to time. Teachers who are trained will be made aware about the peculiarities of persons belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community and they will only be a recipient of the communication from the concerned student belonging to the community," J Ravindran, an attorney auditor general said, as reported by The Times of India.

The government believes that creating awareness among students about the community will help make society an inclusive place in the long run.

Gender-Neutral Bathrooms

Besides the inclusion of topics related to the LGBTQIA+ community, the government will also change the school infrastructure to ensure every student feels included. Schools will have gender-neutral bathrooms for students who do not conform to any gender as per societal norms.

Additionally, schools will also be adding a separate column for transsexual applicants next to the 'male' and 'female' columns in the application forms. Not only will this normalise the application process but it also seals the fact that schools are safe places to learn and live with inclusivity. The regulations by the state government also impose a ban on 'conversion therapy' of LGBTQIA+ members, thus safeguarding their human rights.

"Draft rules have been published and comments/suggestions invited and since no comments/suggestions were received from any quarter, rules have been forwarded to the law department. What remains is the notification to be published in the gazette and bring rules into effect," J Ravindran said further.

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