(April 2nd, 2025 Nicosia) – Within the scope of the Helix Project, Queer Cyprus Association focused on the theme of ‘Inclusive Sexual Education: Promoting Awareness in Schools and Combating Discrimination’ during the third event of the thematic discussion series. At the third event, held at the Home for Cooperation, activists and community members from both the northern and southern parts of Cyprus addressed the isolation, bullying, and discrimination experienced by LGBTI+ individuals due to the lack of inclusivity in the sexual education curricula in Cyprus.
As part of the Helix Project, financed under the European Union Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community and implemented by the Queer Cyprus Association, six thematic discussions are planned to be held. These discussions aim to conduct an advocacy effort across Cyprus, addressing the current issues faced by LGBTI+ individuals in both the northern and southern parts of the island. The events are being carried out in collaboration with the ACCEPT LGBTI and Queer Collective organizations in southern Cyprus.
During the third event, it was stated that sexuality education is not included in the curriculum in the northern part of Cyprus, while in the south, the curriculum is not inclusive due to religious authority and a conservative family structure. The claims of conservative families that sexuality education would cause confusion in children’s development were discussed. It was particularly highlighted that the implementation of inclusive sexuality education in countries like the Netherlands and Sweden, where it is provided at an early age, positively impacts the psychological well-being of LGBTI+ individuals. Activists expressed the view that, as in the case of Scotland, making sexuality education compulsory across all of Cyprus in a pedagogically appropriate manner based on children’s ages would be beneficial both for individuals and society as a whole.
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