How LGBTI-friendly is your university?
The first ever guide assessing all Australian universities on their inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex students has been launched.
The University of Sydney.
Daniel Neubauer / Flickr: 107869281@N02 / Creative Commons
The guide was jointly produced by the Star Observer and the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, with support from advocacy bodies Out For Australia, Transgender Victoria and Organisation Intersex International Australia.
Speaking at the Monday night launch, NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby Convenor Justin Koonin named some of Australia's best universities for LGBTI inclusion.
Universities including Curtin, La Trobe, Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Sunshine Coast, Swinbourne, Sydney, UNSW, Western Australia and Wollongong are all "going to considerable lengths to include LGBTI students", said Koonin.
Each university was judged against a set of 15 criteria, based on information from the university that was publicly available. On the website, students can look up each university and see how they fare via a checklist system.
Criteria included whether the university had anti-discrimination policies, mandatory training for staff, resources, welfare and health support, and societies and events that catered specifically for LGBTI students.
The guide was launched by Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson, who spoke about the liberating experience of attending university as a young gay man.
Australian Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson speaks at the guide launch on Monday evening.
Lane Sainty / BuzzFeed News
"After struggling through high school and the torment of self repression, I was elated to be validated by getting into university. But it was a much more important experience than just education," he said.
"After years of suppression about who I was from my friends and my family, it was an opportunity for the first time in my life to be who I was, not who others wanted me to be, which was so liberating."