A day of inclusion, collaboration and learning

The 2026 Gender and Sexuality Interschool Student Symposium, hosted by Caulfield Grammar School, had a brilliant and lively atmosphere. It was a great pleasure to meet many students and staff who were all incredibly passionate about creating and supporting a more empathetic and sensitive environment for their communities. Students from the Carey Equality Alliance group and Carey Pride Group attended the annual symposium, which this year welcomed representatives from 35 schools. Over the years, the symposium has continued to grow exponentially in size, allowing more students to connect, collaborate and share their experiences within an inclusive and supportive environment.

Throughout the event, students were encouraged to both host and participate in a range of workshops, networking opportunities and discussions exploring diversity, equality and inclusion within gender and sexuality. These activities allowed students to consider how other school communities approach some of these issues while collaboratively discussing ways schools can foster greater care, understanding and support for all students.

The symposium was valuable for not only members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but also allies seeking to further their understanding of shared issues and learn how to better support those around them. The event created a positive and respectful environment where students felt comfortable sharing personal experiences, perspectives and concerns with others from a wide range of backgrounds.

One particularly memorable workshop involved students communicating through simplistic word cards that only allowed basic sentence structures. Despite the limitation, the activity encouraged meaningful and thought-provoking discussions surrounding topics such as privacy and confidentiality, school bathrooms, and pronouns. One student reflected that while pronouns are important, they should not define a person entirely, as identity and self-expression are far more complex than a single label. These discussions encouraged students to consider the balance between visibility, individuality and respectful understanding.

We were also honoured to listen to Danny Cash, the keynote speaker of this year. Danny is a speaker and writer who became known in 2023 when he was School Captain of Melbourne Grammar and wrote an article for the Age about discrimination against LGBTQIA+ students in some schools. His sublime presentation at the symposium touched intimately on issues that many adolescents all across the globe are likely grappling with.

We’re sure that all students who attended the symposium were greatly inspired by all the speakers and activities they experienced on the day. It was wonderful to see a large Carey representation in the final students’ recount and reflections of the day, presented before over 500 representatives from various schools throughout Victoria. Truly, everyone did brilliantly.

By the end of the symposium, students were able to take away a wide range of new perspectives regarding identity, self-expression, responding to negative feedback and implementing positive change within their own school communities. Overall, the symposium provided an engaging and insightful opportunity for students to connect, reflect and contribute towards building more inclusive environments both within schools and beyond.

Simon Carver
Carey Equality Alliance group and Carey Pride Group liaison