Navigating secondary school: A perspective from trans and non‐binary activists

Gender expansive youth, including trans and nonbinary (TNB) individuals, encounter unique challenges in educational contexts, often marked by hostility, exclusion, and discrimination. This research, adopting the social justice youth development (SJYD) framework, aims to investigate the challenges experienced in Italian secondary schools, amplifying the voices of TNB activists. Fifteen activists (average age 23.8), comprising 5 trans men, 2 trans women, and 8 nonbinary individuals, were recruited. Most identified as White Italian, with one of Italian-African descent and one multiracial. Interviews collected participants' perceptions of barriers and areas for improvement in school contexts. Reflexive thematic analysis confirmed schools as challenging contexts for TNB identities, highlighting critical flaws in the educational system, such as macro- and micro-aggressions, insufficient knowledge among teachers and staff to support gender expansive students, and a tendency to systematically exclude LGBTQIA+ culture-related content from curricula. Participants reported engaging in individual and collective activism, striving to adapt and transform educational environments into inclusive spaces for gender identity exploration. Activism stemmed from a sense of responsibility to enhance the well-being and recognition of the TNB community. Practical implications for school community practices and policies, informed by the SJYD framework in dialogue with participants' experiences, are proposed.