Higher education is a place where LGBTQ+ students can begin to express themselves more openly, a report has suggested.
The ‘Next Steps: What is the experience of LGBT+ students in education?’ data was collected and published by UCAS in collaboration with Stonewall.
It was concluded that 64% of LGBTQ+ students are comfortable with being open about their identity at school, with this figure rising to 82% when it comes to university.
It was found that nine out of 10 LGBTQ+ students had a positive or neutral experience in education, with three quarters citing being accepted by peers as a key reason for this.
“At the turn of the millennium, teaching about LGBTQ+ subjects in schools was still illegal – this trailblazing research highlights the great progress made since then, with schools and colleges promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion,” Eloise Stonborough, Associate Director of Research and Policy at Stonewall, explained.
Despite this, more than one in 10 are uncertain of how “out” they will be when they enter higher education.
“I’ve faced a lot of transphobia and I don’t want to have to experience any more,” one said as their reasoning.
“It’s personal and I still need time to find out for myself,” another added.
Another shared: “Depends on who the people are/how comfortable I feel around them.”
Bullying was found to be the main reason for transgender students not enjoying school, with 17% saying they had a negative experience there – a figure 5% higher than LGBTQ+ students more generally.
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