Inclusive educational approaches are gaining increased focus and attention in Higher Education in Australia. Within this context, educators are becoming aware of the great need to support marginalised students who experience additional barriers to their learning. LGBTQIA+ students are one such group. Recent research has highlighted the struggles of LGBTQIA+ young people in Australian education systems at all levels (see Ullman, 2021; Hill et al, 2021). While many university educators consider themselves to be 'allies' of LGBTQIA+ people, there is still much to be done within our learning and teaching practice that can make a significant difference to the day-to-day experiences of queer identifying students.
In this presentation, Dr Bri McKenzie will explore some of the basics of LGBTQIA+ inclusive teaching practices in higher education, including the ways educators can use personal pronouns and gender-neutral language to make their teaching more accessible for queer students. Queer pedagogies and critical pedagogies will also be discussed, with a focus on how educators can prioritise the student voice, reduce hierarchies in the classroom and make their educational practices more just.