Guwahati: LGBTQIA+ children and adolescents face the highest levels of discrimination and bullying within their homes, schools and neighbourhoods, a recent survey has found, prompting activists and educators to call for coordinated action to ensure equal rights and inclusive education.

The survey, conducted among more than 900 LGBTQ+ individuals by Kolkata-based organisation Bridge, which works across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, found that bullying is most prevalent between the ages of 12 and 15. The findings highlight how hostility during formative years often forces students to drop out of school, undermining access to education, future employment and income security.

Despite key legal milestones, including the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2018, the NALSA judgment (2014) and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, systemic exclusion persists across education, healthcare, workplaces and public life, stakeholders said. Basic rights remain out of reach for many in the LGBTQIA+ community, underscoring the need for wider social engagement and policy-driven inclusion.

Advocates stressed that collective action by governments, institutions and communities is essential to reduce discrimination and promote dignity. Education leaders emphasised that safe, inclusive school environments are critical, citing examples of institutions in Assam that have introduced gender-neutral toilets, reserved seats, fee waivers, and sensitisation programmes for students and staff.

Academics and social work professionals from colleges and universities across the region noted growing public support for judgement-free spaces, but warned of structural resistance rooted in binary social norms. They called for gender-inclusive approaches across families, schools, neighbourhoods, state authorities, healthcare services and workplaces to prevent marginalisation, mental distress and suicides.

Experts urged higher education institutions to establish safe spaces and queer-affirmative infrastructure, including gender-neutral hostels and toilets, accessible transport, common rooms, livelihood support, prompt grievance redressal and quality healthcare. They also highlighted the role of art, literature and cinema in shaping public understanding of queer experiences.

Key recommendations include capacity building for school teachers and B.Ed trainees, sustained parental engagement, and the introduction of age-appropriate learning materials on gender and sexuality in school libraries, particularly in Assamese and other regional languages. Stakeholders also called for mandatory sensitisation training for teachers and education staff, aligned with Supreme Court guidelines on student mental health, and biannual training for judicial, police and administrative officials on laws and rights related to LGBTQIA+ people.

The findings reinforce the urgency of coordinated reforms to ensure safety, dignity and equal opportunity for LGBTQIA+ children and youth across Northeast India.

PTI