Challenging the LGBTIQ+ borderlands: navigating Australian higher education landscapes through metaphor, lived experience and transformative spaces in academia

Purpose This study aims to examine how my lived experience as a queer academic at a regional Australian university has shaped my professional practice, particularly my work within the ally program for LGBTIQ+ inclusion, support, advocacy and diversity education. Design/methodology/approach Through the methodological framework of autoethnography, I analysed the complex interplay between personal identity and professional impact. I used Anzaldua’s borderlands framework as a metaphor to illustrate my emotional journey, understand interpersonal dynamics, interpret responses to adversity, relate these to the higher education context and detail the struggles staff face when championing inclusion. Findings Findings revealed that when addressing diversity issues, the approach towards individual and institutional change significantly determines outcomes. If the approach centred on aggressive activism, there were real risks for the university to become a “battleground” where consensus could never be reached. Instead, a human-centred focus on connection paved the way to real learning. Practical implications This paper offers transferable insights for practitioners working in LGBTIQ+ spaces or other contexts characterised by attitudinal and experiential divides. This research contributes to our understanding of how lived experience can inform effective diversity practice in higher education settings, transforming them into places of mutual respect and learning. Originality/value Using autoethnography gives a unique insight into lived experience, while metaphor helps the stories resonate with the readers. It documents my educational strategies for facilitating difficult conversations and building allyship, and this is useful for anyone working in equity, diversity and inclusion.