A sense of school belonging is important for all students so they feel respected, supported and included. However, this can be harder for some groups of students. Unfortunately, many LGBTQIA+ students still face discrimination and marginalisation in Australian high schools.

Pride groups – school-based groups for LGBTQIA+ students – are one way to foster inclusion.

But our recent study, published by The Australian Educational Researcher last week, found that in Tasmanian public schools, pride groups can often be difficult to set up and sustain.

What are pride groups?

Pride groups provide inclusive spaces for social connection, peer support and advocacy. They are often led by students with guidance from teachers or other school staff.

The structure of pride groups varies from school to school. Some groups elect students into formal leadership roles, such as presidents or committee members. Others are more informal, with many students working together to organise activities and facilitate discussion groups.

Pride groups can also function in different ways. For example, some schools might hold weekly pride group meetings during a lunch break, while other groups may host more informal “drop in” safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ students and their allies.

A lack of wider research

Across Australia, relatively little is known about how many schools have pride groups or the impact they have. There has been little research, in part because these groups are locally organised and often change over time.

The available evidence suggests most LGBTQIA+ students still do not have access to a pride group at school. In its 2025 national survey, LGBTQIA+ youth organisation Minus18 found fewer than half of LGBTQIA+ students surveyed said their school had a pride group.

Our research

In Tasmania, pride groups operate in many schools, particularly in the state’s larger towns and cities in the north, northwest and south.

Our research was commissioned by Tasmania-based LGBTQIA+ education and advocacy service Working It Out, to explore how pride groups in Tasmanian high schools contribute to the wellbeing and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ students.

As part of this research, we interviewed 30 students involved in school pride groups across five high schools and senior secondary colleges in Tasmania’s northwest, northern and southern regions. Students were also invited to share artworks about their experiences of pride groups. All participants selected their own pseudonyms for privacy reasons.

What we found

Students reported valuing pride groups as crucial for their overall wellbeing, and said they were a reason to come to school. Many described pride groups as important safe spaces where they could be themselves and feel comfortable. This includes Sky:

I guess my walls come down a little bit more in pride group, because I know that if there’s queer people there, and I know that they’ve probably experienced marginalisation because of their sexuality, so I know that I can be myself more, since those kinds of people know what it’s like to be left out.

Another student, Gastro, said:

Because it’s good to have people you can relate to […] you know that you’re not alone.

Some students explained being part of a pride group helped to improve their school attendance. As Willow explained:

I genuinely go to school because I know that there’s a group of people that understand me […] the moment I got to the pride group, I was like, I actually want to come to school now.

Another student, Kayla, also noted:

I started coming to school more because of pride group because I felt safe in here and got away from all of the rumours.

Overwhelmingly, pride groups were described as safe spaces where students could feel comfortable, learn about queer-related topics (such as gender and LGBTQIA+ history), and envision their futures as LGBTQIA+ adults.

Fragility of groups

As part of the study, we also interviewed 16 staff members from across 13 schools who were involved in facilitating pride groups.

Staff told us it was often difficult to keep pride groups going due to high staff turnover, staff absences, reliance on individual staff members, and competing demands. One high school teacher, Sandy, shared:

We started the year with a massive turnout, 25–30 kids each time. And then I was sick and the pride group didn’t happen for like three weeks in a row. And then when I came back, I was down to maybe five kids.

What schools can do

Students shouldn’t have to carry the work of advocacy and creating safe spaces without reliable support from the adults around them. And those adults, in turn, need support that allows them to better facilitate pride groups. Schools, and the wider systems they sit within, can create the conditions for this by ensuring security and guidance are available for pride groups.

Our research shows schools can:

• maintain consistent schedules for pride group sessions

• allocate specific workload time for teachers and staff involved in pride groups

• develop resources to support school staff transitions, such as a pride group handover document, when staff changes occur

• develop processes for staff to help students step into roles of agency and leadership for pride group activities.

Without these systemic supports, the continuity of pride groups remains precarious.

Kim Beasy received funding from the Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People. The funding supported the research reported here, which was commissioned by Working It Out Inc.

Sherridan Emery received funding from the Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People. The funding supported the research reported here, which was commissioned by Working It Out Inc.

Read More: Read More