The Swiss Curriculum 21 underscores the importance of equal opportunities for all students, promoting inclusion and combating discrimination in all forms. At the same time, public educational institutions transmit the knowledge and values of a society that predominantly holds a heteronormative understanding of gender and sexual orientation to the next generation. Therefore, public schools are significant places for gender socialization that influence beyond the actual school years, preforming further biographies and life paths (Harring et al., 2022). Through curricular content and teaching materials, interactions and spatial designs, modes of address and recognition relations, heteronormative socialization conditions are reproduced, thereby inhibiting the equal psychosocial development of LGBTQ+ youth (Bak & Yildiz, 2016).

Existing research suggests that LGBTIQ+ youth encounter unique challenges, including the development and integration of their gender and sexual identities, coping with LGBTIQ+ hostility, lack of visibility in the curriculum, and a school environment that does not meet their needs (Krell & Oldemeier, 2015). Studies, primarily from the US, highlight higher rates of victimization and discomfort among trans and non-binary youth compared to their cis LGB+ peers (Kosciw et al., 2022). Limited research exists examining the intersection of racism and heteronormativity in the school experiences of LGBTIQ+ youth of color (IDA, 2021).

This study aims to address the gap in research by exploring how LGBTIQ+ youth in German-speaking Switzerland perceive the school climate, considering their gender identification and perceived risk of racial discrimination.

To answer this research question, this study analyzes cross-sectional data from a quantitative online survey conducted as part of the SOGUS project ("Sexual Orientation, Gender and School"). A total of 564 participants aged 14 to 19, who identify as part of the LGBTIQ+ spectrum and attend school in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, were included in the final dataset.

The key measures of the survey included gender identification, perceived risk of racial discrimination, and the perceived LGBTIQ+-specific school climate. Gender identification was assessed using a combination of self-identification options, official gender registration, and inter* identification. The perceived risk of racial discrimination was measured through a self-ascription variable, capturing participants' subjective risk of racial discrimination. The perceived LGBTIQ+-specific school climate was evaluated using an adapted version of the LGBTQ+ National School Climate Survey (Kosciw et al., 2022), which included scales for physical and emotional safety, relationships with school staff, peer acceptance, and the inclusivity of the institutional environment.

The findings indicate that cis female participants perceived the school climate as more "queer-friendly" than participants with other gender identities. They reported significantly lower chances of feeling uncomfortable due to their gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation, and experienced fewer instances of harassment and assault. Participants with a high perceived risk of racial discrimination reported a more negative school climate, experiencing more harassment, identifying more places of discomfort, and perceiving lower acceptance from peers. Open-ended responses revealed that cis participants primarily discussed coming-out experiences and homonegative remarks, while trans and non-binary+ students described gender-specific discrimination, including misgendering, heteronormative infrastructure, and transnegativity.

The study underscores the importance of considering the diverse experiences of LGBTIQ+ youth and not treating them as a homogeneous group. The findings suggest that cis female students may experience a more favorable school climate compared to other gender identities, while those facing a higher risk of racial discrimination encounter additional challenges. Further research is needed to explore the complexities and contradictions of school experiences for LGBTIQ+ youth, incorporating their perspectives, joy, and visions for a more inclusive educational environment.

The last few years have seen a rapid increase in public conversations about the phenomenon of trans* people, in particular trans* children and adolescents. The discussions range from conservative to liberal political positions. Some follow the dominant Western medical-psychiatric perspective on trans* people, which defines trans* individuals as a deviation from an apparently natural binary gender order (Valentine 2007; Suess Schwend 2020; Kuhar and Paternotte 2017). Other positions center on the social and legal situation of trans* people, which is – as international research shows – marked by multiple forms of discrimination, harassment and violence across Europe and beyond (European Union Agency of Fundamental Rights 2014; Council of Europe 2015; European Commission 2019, 2020, 2021). Particularly striking is the widespread lack of gender recognition in education (Galarte 2014; Nicolazzo, Marine and Galarte 2015). In Switzerland, trans* individuals may change their gender marker and name without medical and psychiatric protocol since 2022. The political discussions are particularly fervid when it comes to trans* children and adolescents which resulted in a legislation that requires trans* persons under 16 years of age permission from their legal representative for the access to a new gender marker that matches their gender identity. The question how trans* children and adolescents should be accommodated by their families, by medical and particularly by educational institutions remains highly debated.

Given this latest social and legal change and the controversies following them, the project Education in Trans*formation draws the attention to trans* children and adolescents in education with the overall aim to provide a complex and nuanced articulation of what it may mean to be, think, and teach trans* students in educational settings. The project studies the challenges that pedagogical institutions and actors in educational settings encounter while teaching trans* students and addressing trans* issues in the classroom. It examines public mandatory primary and secondary all-day schools in large cities in German and French-speaking Switzerland that are situated in different socio-economic, racial, ethnic and religious contexts. This study explores the experiences of trans* students and trans* activist organisations in education and scrutinises the potential and limitations of international best practices in trans* inclusive pedagogies by means of a qualitative, in-depth analysis.

With an intersectional perspective on gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, class, sexuality and ability, this project seeks to initiate pedagogical practices and institutional transformation in education to facilitate broader accessibility to education. This communication will present some of the preliminary results of the research project Education in Trans*formation (funded by the SNSF).

The risk of dropping out of vocational training is a major social, political and economic issue in Switzerland, with between 20% and 25% of apprenticeship contracts terminated early (Kriesi et al., 2016). It has been shown that the experience of gender-based discrimination can have an impact on the vocational training trajectories of female apprentices and lead to them dropping out, particularly for women doing an apprenticeship in masculinised domains (Makarowa et al., 2016; Lamamra, 2016). We can assume that the experience of homophobic discrimination and violence may also have a similar effect. However, although homophobic discrimination is still a reality in Switzerland, at school (Dayer, 2010, 2013; Amiguet, et al., 2017) and on the labour market (Parini and Lloren, 2017), its influence on the experiences of young people in vocational education and training (VET) programs with representative quantitative data within a mixed design has not yet been documented.

What impact does the experience of homophobic discrimination and violence have on the intention to reorient or stop a vocational training course? With regard to homophobia and heterosexism, how do apprentices perceive the climate in their school and training company and the measures put in place to fight against discrimination and violence?

To answer our research questions, we used a mixed design. We surveyed a representative sample of more than 1000 apprentices in vocational training in the canton of Geneva with a standardized questionnaire (on three occasions over a three-year period). We focus here on the answers obtained during wave 2 (interviews at the start of the 2021-2022 school year). The questionnaire enabled us to measure students' experiences of discrimination and violence on the grounds of their sexual orientation during their current training. Questions were also asked about the concealment of sexual orientation in training institutions, which we consider to be a measure of indirect homophobia. The students were also asked about their intention to reorient or to stop their current training. At the same time, individual interviews were conducted with 28 apprentices among those who completed the questionnaire.

With regard to the quantitative data, the results of linear regression analyses show that students who define themselves as not exclusively heterosexual have a greater intention of reorienting or stopping their education than other students. Once variables relating to experiences of homophobic discrimination and violence are included in the analyses, the direct effect of sexual orientation is no longer significant. In other words, the experience of discrimination and violence entirely explains the intention to reorientate or stop the training (Gianettoni et al., 2023). These results highlight the importance of combating both direct and indirect homophobic violence and discrimination. Finally, qualitative data highlight the young people's observations that training institutions provide insufficient, inadequate or ineffective actions against heterosexist discrimination and violence (Guilley et al., 2025).

The university experience is a pivotal stage in the identity formation of young adults (Arnett, 2000 ; 2014). However, international research on gender-based violence (GBV) in higher education institutions (Cantor et al. 2015; Bergeron et al., 2016; AHRC, 2017; Paquette et al., 2021) highlights that certain groups are more vulnerable to GBV in university settings, emphasising the need to analyse GBV in academia through an intersectional feminist lens. LGBTQ+ students are one such group. Their gender identity and/or sexual orientation, compounded by other socio-demographic characteristics, expose them to diverse forms of oppression within educational contexts. In particular, the heterocisnormative nature of higher education institutions can transform this promising period into yet another negative experience in an academic setting, as the transition from secondary school to university often perpetuates LGBTQ+phobic behaviors.

GBV experienced by LGBTQ+ youth in university settings manifests in various forms and it is perpetrated not only by peers and staff, but also through curriculum content and the culture of different disciplines (Forbes, 2022). The institutional environment itself "contributes to reiterating the markers of a cisgender, binary and heterosexual normality" (Richard & Alessandrin, 2019, p. 2). As a result, the consequences of GBV are far-reaching. Paquette et al. (2019) reveal that these include psychological challenges such as low self-esteem and high rate of suicidality, social impacts such as increased vulnerability and guilt, and disruptions to habits and/or life plans, such as missing school or altering educational pathways. These factors significantly increase the risk of academic dropout among LGBTQ+ students, who are more likely to abandon their studies compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers (Rankin et al., 2010).

Swiss universities, despite implementing GBV prevention campaigns and LGBTQ+ awareness initiatives, have struggled to address deeply embedded structural biases (Magni & Collet, 2022). Given the significant impact of university experiences on social and professional success, it is essential to further examine the experiences of LGBTQ+ students in higher education. Such exploration is key to developing institutional measures for preventing GBV and fostering inclusive environments.

This presentation explores the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ students as a result of GBV, its impact on their academic and professional trajectories, and the strategies they employ to navigate the heterocisnormative university environment. Based on 245 responses to an online survey, 51 personal accounts collected through an open-ended survey question, and 17 in-depth interviews conducted as part of a PhD research project investigating the attitudes and norms perpetuating GBV in a French-speaking university in Switzerland, the findings reveal the persistence of GBV and its profound effects on LGBTQ+ students' experiences and life paths. They also underscore the difficulty of addressing such behaviors and highlight the critical role of peers and feminist groups in raising awareness about the violence experienced. Despite these challenges, LGBTQ+ students demonstrate resilience through strategies, such as seeking support from loved ones, selective identity disclosure, and avoidance, showcasing their agency in mitigating the impact of GBV, protecting themselves, and navigating heterocisnormative spaces within university settings.