Hostile school environment and no government partnership with civil society: -5/10 | There is no evidence of the government providing funding or working in partnership with civil society: 0/10 | The government provides funding and works in partnership with civil society to promote inclusive education for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10
The political climate has become increasingly hostile towards LGBTI people since 2018. With the new far-right government in place since early 2020, civil society is concerned about Slovenia’s future and has held large demonstrations.
In 2020, the teen magazine Pil’s cover page featured the question “Do you like boys or girls?” on its front page. The magazine received hateful backlash, but stood by its values.
The COVID-19 lockdowns had a great impact on LGBTQI learners, with many having to choose between going home to unsupportive family members or going through homelessness or housing insecurity. Local NGO Legebitra and student organisations lobbied student dorms, which ended up staying open for those in need during lockdown periods.
TransAkcija’s “Everyday lives of trans persons in Slovenia” includes important findings about the situation of trans young people and their experiences in schools (although this was not the main focus of the report). 40% of respondents reported having experienced discrimination in schools (see more under Mandatory teacher training and Support systems).
In 2021, Legebitra published “LGBT youth – let’s break the silence in schools!”, based on the first national survey on the topic. The survey reached 602 students between 16-21. Legebitra found that 62% reported having been verbally harassed at school in the past year, due to their SOGIE. One in five LGBT students were physically harassed (shoved or pushed) and one in ten were assaulted (punched, kicked, injured with a weapon). 26% of the respondents felt unsafe in school due to their gender expression and 35% due to their sexual orientation.
In 2024, a so-called "list of Legebitra supporters" was created, detailing which kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and universities financially supported Legebitra. This list was taken out of context, as most institutions, for example, paid to attend national education workshops organised by Legebitra with the support of the Ministry of Education. The backlash came when some schools demanded to be removed from the list, which was not possible, as it was compiled from publicly available financial data on their website. Those schools that contacted Legebitra did so under pressure from some parents urging headmasters to take action.
In 2024, prominent anti-rights activist Aleš Primc, known for his campaigns against same-sex marriage, published a guidebook for parents and teachers on "protecting children from LGBTIQ ideology." The guidebook encourages parents to put pressure on schools that address LGBTIQ topics in any capacity, further escalating the efforts to limit LGBTIQ-inclusive education.
At the end of 2024, a primary school in Vavta vas organised a "Living Library" event for 8th and 9th grade students, where they could meet people from various minority groups, including a gay and a lesbian person. When a parent learned that LGBTQI individuals would be part of the event, they launched an online campaign, urging other like-minded parents to keep their children home. Some parents argued that the event was against their values and violated their constitutional right to educate their children according to their religious and moral beliefs, accusing Legebitra of attempting to indoctrinate students with LGBTQI ideology, despite Legebitra not being the event organiser. The event, organised by the civil society organisation For Development of Voluntary Work Novo Mesto, was covered in various media. In response, Legebitra sought clarification from the President of Slovenia, Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar, who fully supported the event, and the Ministry of Education, which only responded after receiving instructions from the Prime Minister's office. However, the Ministry's response was vague and failed to address whether LGBTQI topics should be included in the school environment or how parents' rights to educate their children according to their values should be balanced with the school system.
The government provides funding and works in partnership with NGOs in the promotion of LGBTQI inclusive education.
