The project organizers wish to thank EU Peace and the European Commission for funding this project.

LGBTQIA+ rights have seen significant progress across many parts of Europe in recent decades. However, there is growing evidence that discrimination and homophobia are once again on the rise. A 2019 report by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency revealed that public attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ equality and non-discrimination have either stagnated or deteriorated in recent years, raising concerns that hard-won gains may be at risk. Yet, the question of tolerance goes beyond the scope of rights alone.

Research shows that societies with higher levels of national tolerance also enjoy greater overall social well-being and cohesion (Fischer et al., 2015). While this finding may not be surprising, the real challenge lies in determining how to actively foster tolerance in European societies, particularly in the face of growing far-right populist movements that seek to undermine such progress. A robust body of literature emphasizes the important role educational institutions—especially universities—play in cultivating this tolerance. Nuno Nodin, a researcher at the University of London known for his work on sexual minorities and social behavior, underscores the importance of higher education. He writes, “for the wider student population, diversifying exposure to varied identities and content will challenge privilege and may also increase preparedness for the diversity that is expected to be experienced in future professional and life contexts” (2022, p. 23).

Fostering tolerance and non-discrimination is not something that happens overnight. Still, universities have a responsibility to prepare students not only academically and professionally, but also as socially aware individuals who can contribute to a diverse and pluralistic Europe. This project aims to bring together partner institutions within the EU Peace Initiative to collaboratively develop curriculum initiatives that support the advancement of LGBTQIA+ rights within higher education. The project has focused on three core outcomes. First, we have conducted a mapping of existing LGBTQIA+ curriculum content and awareness among faculty at our universities.

This mapping has revealed minimal reference of LGBTQIA+ content in university teaching amongst the four participating university. And more so, has demonstrated relatively high levels of ambivalence amongst faculty about the importance of integrating such content. Recognizing the limited availability of LGBTQIA+ academic content, all four participating universities have produced a series of brief, one-hour online classes addressing LGBTQIA+ issues across various academic disciplines—including psychology, linguistics, law, and political science—which will be made available to both faculty and students. On this page, you will find academic video content on a wide range of subject matter, from migration studies to populism and religion.

Along with each video, is the third outcome: a syllabi for each of these subjects featuring curated reading lists and suggested modules designed to integrate LGBTQIA+ themes into the academic curriculum. These resources aim to establish a foundation of academic support for LGBTQIA+ rights across institutions and offer both students and faculty additional resources to use in classes and within academic research. Important note: All of the videos can be translated into another language by opening the video link in a separate page (the link is at the top right corner of video) and then clicking settings and then auto-generate subtitles (choosing your language preference from the list).

Participating Universities:

• Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Spain)
• Università della Calabria (Italy)
• University of West Bohemia (Czech Republic)
• University of Marburg (Germany)