Queering the Curriculum - Why Legal Education Must Reflect LGBTQI+ Perspectives

Pride Month is more than a celebration; it is an invitation. An invitation to reflect on progress, amplify underrepresented voices, and reimagine the systems we work within. In legal education, this means asking how the next generation of lawyers can be better prepared to serve a diverse, dynamic society and how our curriculum can evolve to reflect that world.

To honour the ongoing pursuit of justice, legal education must embrace the perspectives, histories, and contributions of LGBTQI+ communities not as a separate topic, but as a vital thread woven through the foundational studies of law.

Leading by Example: Monash University’s Holistic Approach

Monash University has demonstrated a strong commitment to inclusive legal education, both in and beyond the classroom. In addition to pioneering community-led student programs, it seems that Monash is preparing to offer, in future, specialised academic units that centre LGBTQ+ issues within legal theory and practice.

• LAW5486 – Principles of Queer Law

• LAW4548 – Queer Law

These academic offerings complement the work of the Monash Law Students’ Society (LSS), which has championed an extraordinary suite of programs that build community, promote inclusion, and celebrate identity. Over recent years, these have included:

• Queer Mentoring Program: Peer-based mentoring for LGBTQ+ law students to support connection, confidence, and career growth.

• Queer Lecture & Networking Night: A powerful opportunity for students to learn from LGBTQ+ legal professionals and build professional networks.

• Queer Through the Years Panel & Film Screening: A reflective evening tracing queer legal history through personal stories and film.

• Queer Mixer: An informal space for LGBTQI+ students and allies to come together and build community.

• Queer Seminar/Training Workshop: A professional development session on inclusive legal practice, allyship, and advocacy.

Together, these academic and co-curricular initiatives exemplify what is possible when institutions commit to inclusion with intention and care.

A Shared Opportunity for Growth

The work being done at Monash is a powerful reminder of the importance of queering the curriculum. It is about ensuring that every law student graduates with a deeper understanding of the legal system’s impacts on diverse communities, and the skills to navigate those complexities with professionalism and respect.

Legal education is a shared journey. Students, educators, institutions, and communities all have a role to play in shaping a curriculum that reflects real lives and fosters real change. The embedding of LGBTQI+ voices in legal study, will result in a more prepared legal professional. With this, we can expect a future legal industry that is enriched by greater diversity of thought, leading to more inclusive and effective legal practice. 

Pride in Learning, Pride in Law

This Pride Month, let us celebrate more than past victories, let us celebrate the potential of what comes next. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ perspectives in legal education is not just timely; it is transformative. It invites a generation of legal minds to see the law not as fixed, but as evolving.

By championing inclusive units, empowering student initiatives, and embracing a broader vision of justice, we build a legal profession, and a society, where everyone belongs. Let’s queer the curriculum.

Written by Ananya Goswami

Edited by Ai-Vy Nguyen