to foster a healthier environment for
LGBTQ+ teens.

“The topic of SOGI within BC
curriculum is designed to keep an at-
risk and vulnerable group of students
safe, to create welcoming and inclusive
schools, and to eliminate discrimination
so students can focus on learning,” said
Dixon. “It does not tell a student that
their parent's values are wrong, it simply
says that we treat everyone with dignity
and respect.”

The topic of SOG! has become a
contentious one coming into the 2018
municipal elections. Just this past
week, a school board candidate on
the Vancouver 1st slate, Tony Dong,
left the party and decided to run as an
independent after the slate’s mayoral
candidate Fred Harding denounced
SOGI in an online video.

Dong, who self-identifies as “middle
class, right-winged, and conservative-
minded”, supports the policy and SOGI
123 resources provided.

“Despite my political leanings, | find
that the recent videos published by
the Vancouver 1st party and leadership
with [an] anti-SOGI stance are wholly
inconsistent with my views,” said
Dong in a statement to the Georgia
Straight. “| believe that it is a much-
needed resource for a historically
marginalised and vulnerable

population. [...] To put it plainly, there
has been a rather savage history of
discrimination against the LGBTQ+
community and | will not stand with

a party who does not see a priority in
ameliorating it and supporting inclusive
policies aimed at furthering human
rights obligations.”

Not every candidate shares
Dong's views—though in Delta, it
seems trustees and candidates across
the board support SOGI policy and
resources.

“lam so pleased to say that in
Delta we have strong support for our
approach to Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity policy, procedure,
and implementation,” said Dixon.
“We struck a student-led, educator-
facilitated committee to design
our procedure with their own lived
experience in mind and to make
recommendations. [...] Additionally,
we have fully supported GSAs in every
high school and extensive training of all
staff."

Whether a school board trustee
candidate supports SOGI or is “anti-

Bex Peterson
Editor-in-Chief

SOGI", however, they would not have
the power to block the teaching of
SOGI materials in schools in their
district.

“Trustees cannot change the
Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms, nor step around the
Canadian Human Rights Act or ignore
the Education Minister's direction,” said
Dixon. “In order to take office, [trustees]
must take an Oath of Office to uphold
the School Act and will likely have to
agree to District Codes of Conduct to
act in the best interests of all students.
Trustees who try to block the teaching
of the curriculum around SOGI-related
content risk being legally challenged
for infringing on human rights. Most
concerning is that they put student
safety and wellbeing at risk. Further,
they fail to focus on fulfilling their
obligation to ensure student success.”

With the election coming up quickly
on October 20, it’s worth looking into
your local candidates to see where they
stand on SOGI. In the meantime, it’s
certainly encouraging to see so many
candidates in favour of supporting
inclusive policy measures for LGBTO+
youth in BC.

“If a trustee is accountable for
student success,” said Dixon, “that
means they are accountable for
the safety and wellbeing of all.”