Il dibattito sull’educazione di genere in Italia

The essay, starting from the observation that gender education is already practiced in educational contexts and transmitted by school textbooks, in which roles considered 'traditional', stereotypes and gender-related expectations still operate, first of all provides a map of terms and meanings for orientation (sex, gender, intersexuality, patriarchy, intersectionality, stereotypes and prejudices, the acronym LGBTQ+ and sexual-affective orientations). The second part gives an account of the debate that has been underway in Italy since the last decade of the twentieth century around the theme of gender education, on the one hand characterized, particularly in conservative circles and in a part of the Catholic world, by positions of strong criticism and denunciation of the dangers of the so-called "Gender Theory". On the other hand, significant parts of the Christian and Catholic galaxy and many social realities believe that gender studies and education to affectivity and respect are important in order to overcome stereotypes and discrimination and to combat gender-based violence.