Several B.C. political parties and party leaders have stated their views on SOGI 123, an optional resource for educators on sexual orientation and gender identity.
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SOGI 123 is an optional resource for educators on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, and multiple B.C. parties have outlined their positions as the election campaign continues.
BC Teachers Federation president Carole Gordon said teachers have used SOGI 123 to help integrate discussion of sexual and gender diversity in schools, saying it “builds on and supports a broad understanding of the world which is diverse.”
Associate professor TJ Salway of Simon Fraser University said SOGI 123 has been in place for about a decade and reported benefits including “reduction of bullying and discrimination and improvements in mental health and safety not only for 2SLGBTQ+ students but also for the majority of students who are themselves cisgender.”
Criticism of the resource has included claims from some parents and politicians that it is harmful to children or conflicts with religious beliefs, even as its supporters argue it helps make schools safer and more inclusive.
The BC NDP, the BC Green Party and CentreBC have each taken a more favourable stance toward SOGI 123. NDP leader David Eby said the party has made changes to “combat misinformation and keep parents informed,” adding, “Any parent that has a concern about an inappropriate book or age inappropriate material that’s in the school can bring that concern directly to the school board.” The NDP also said it will not remove access to SOGI 123, though the resource is not mentioned directly in the party’s platform, and earlier this year the NDP cut funding for the non-profit that developed it.
Green Party candidate Emily Lowan said her party would continue supporting and expanding SOGI 123, writing: “We commit to continue supporting and expanding the SOGI 123 initiative to create inclusive school environments that support 2SLGBTQIA+ students and addresses the topics of gender identity and sexual orientation.”
CentreBC leader Elenore Sturko said: “CentreBC will not repeal or remove SOGI 123. It is a set of optional anti-bullying resources and policy templates for school districts, not curriculum, and not sex education.”
On the other side, the Conservative Party of B.C., led by Lorne Doerkson and Dallas Brodie’s OneBC, have both discussed removing or repealing SOGI 123. In September, Doerkson said his party would get rid of the resource if it formed government, calling it “an absolute lightning rod for division in our province” and saying many people are confused about what SOGI has become in schools.
Doerkson said the Conservative Party would introduce a new anti-bullying program and stressed academic priorities, while OneBC stated it would repeal SOGI and create a Gender Ideology Task Force to “end gender identity instruction and secret social transition in K-12 schools.”
Supporters of SOGI 123 said the prospect of repeal raises concerns about school safety for 2SLGBTQ students. Fae Johnstone of Queer Momentum said, “When they say they’re going to remove SOGI 123, what they’re cuing is that they’re going to gut programs that make schools safe for gay kids, for trans kids, and kids who are different.” Johnstone said SOGI 123’s focus is on helping teachers create inclusive spaces for children, and said that should remain the central goal.
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