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This e-learning resource has been developed to assist teaching and administrative staff in further education to (a) understand the issues faced by gender variant students and teachers and (b) respond appropriately to those whose gender experience and/or expression falls outside the typical binary man/woman expectations. Governors, management, trades' unions and students' unions will also benefit from an understanding of the issues faced by trans people; all must share in the corporate responsibility to provide a safe, inclusive and healthy environment for them.

Gender variant people may come into the further education environment before, during or after the emergence of their inner gender identity and, therefore, their needs will vary a great deal.

The number of people approaching medical services for assistance in dealing with their gender discomfort is growing rapidly (Reed et al) , however, in relation to other minority groups, numbers are still small. A far larger number of gender variant people try to hide their condition, not always successfully. Staff frequently lack understanding of gender variant conditions, they are sometimes prejudiced and are often ill-prepared to deal with the practical, legal and ethical issues arising.

This learning aid is divided into modules, which demonstrate the kinds of situations that may arise, the pitfalls, and how these may be avoided by greater awareness, pre-emptive good practice, and by embedding gender identity equality within the code of practice of the learning institution. The modules can be explored in any order, but we recommend that you begin with Introduction to gender variance and finish by considering how to make use of the information in this resource by Action planning.